Hoenn Epic: The Legacy of Aeon
by YamiUmiRyu
Summary: Featuring characters from Courageous Dragon Knight, Kenyon Knight arrives in Hoenn on a mission of his own. Not for gym badges or contest ribbons, but for a great cause to his family back home.
1. Hoenn Bound!

This idea was repolished and greatly improved after the last co-author crumbled it like an aluminum can. You know who you are...

Author's Note: The idea of making a pokèmon fan fiction had been collecting dust in my Flashdrive, as well as Gema J. Gall's laptop. Once these files were rediscovered, the idea demons danced. They danced like it was New Years'. Rising from the ashes of a fiction that hadn't even taken off for a first chapter comes drum roll ...Hoenn Epic: The Legacy of Aeon. Featuring the original characters of Courageous Dragon Knight. Happy Readings!

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**Chapter 1- Hoenn-Bound!**

The salty air of the sea breezed gracefully along the small boat's open bow. Waves slid past the hull as the boat glided across the open sea. Fortunately, no one aboard was seasick. Aboard was its captain, an elderly man who refused to give up his sea legs, a Wingull, most likely his sea faring partner, and a boy just in the middle of his teens. His platinum blonde bangs over his headband whipped in the wind and his green eyes watched as the horizon of ocean raced by. He could almost fall asleep while being caressed by the atmosphere, he was just disappointed in one thing when he took this boat: there wasn't a DVD player, let alone a TV and the batteries in his portable were just about dead.

Just as his eyelids grew heavy for the umpteenth, the boat felt like it jumped out of the water. He grasped onto the bow's railing and snapped a look towards the captain. The captain had a hearty chuckle, "Sorry lad, I guess I should have mentioned there's a lot a wakes. It means we're getting close." His partnering Wingull cheered in its catch phrase.

The passenger sighed as he could just make out the new piece of land over the eastern horizon. "That's good news. Thanks again for letting me borrow the boat, Captain Briney."

"Think nothing of it. I was on my way back anyway, seemed the least I could do for the famous Knight family." Captain Briney acknowledged before his smile faded, "You do have my wishes of luck in your mission."

The passenger nodded and the boat began to slow down as the dock became visible. Soon the boat drifted into place on the dock and Briney and his passenger secured the boat into place. After finishing the knot tying, Briney looked up to the young man sporting a rather casual outfit of denim blue jeans, red T-shirt, and a pine green vest with a single pokèball over the left pocket on his belt. His backpack was pretty thick and heavy for his relatively skinny stature. Briney's white mustache wiggled over his lips, "Your destination is Rustboro City from here, correct?"

The passenger looked back at him in response, "Well yeah, that's where my parents told me to head first."

"Then I'll lend you in on a secret. There is a shoreline trail that goes around Petalburg Forest during low tide, it may take you twice as long as going through the forest but if you're not interested in catching pokèmon, it's the best route." He said and pointed to the sand strip towards north that was only seven feet between the ocean waves and the rocky slope.

"Much obliged Captain." The trainer smiled before heading off the dock.

"Safe journey and good luck! Make sure you give your folks a call when you reach the pokèmon center!" Briney bid his farewell; his Wingull fluttering above the boat, cheering its name. When he saw they trainer reached the beach trail. Briney's smile fainted under his mustache. "Hope that boy will be all right on his own. It's dangerous to travel solo in these parts. Don't you agree Peeko?"

His Wingull drifted onto the dock, its cheerful demeanor gone with his trainer's. "Wingull…"

The trainer watched his step, careful not to get his ankles deep in water or stepping on a Krabby "Maybe I should spend tonight at the pokèmon center…it is getting pretty late. That trip with Briney chewed up a good four hours." He mumbled as the sun reached its highest peak in the clear sky. The trainer trekked on the sandy path, every so often breaking open a small box of popcorn to snack on.

Eventually the dense forest over the rock wall thinned out. He looked as it seemed the forest was clear and the end of the path leading to land again. The trainer tucked away his popcorn and took a deep breath; the path back up to land was an extremely steep one, almost a climb. And his backpack was crammed pack with his supplies, weighing down on his spine.

After a moment of hesitation, he finally took to the path on all fours, driving his feet into the ground to keep him from sliding and his hands on the rock wall to the right of him to keep him from falling back. In about five minutes, he felt the grass in his hands, he had made it to land. While he rested he looked ahead, it was a large city with towering buildings of the grayish color. "That must be Rustboro. All right…first head to the center and contact my folks, then find the police station to see how they're doing. …Then I can finally watch my movies." He dreamed with satisfaction, it felt real because he had just been eating popcorn on his walk.

The trainer pulled himself together and roamed into town. He hardly drew attention because many of the pokèmon trainers traveled through, mainly because it had a pokèmon gym. The trainer browsed around, first tapping someone on the shoulder. "Excuse me? Where's the pokèmon center here?"

The passerby answered, "You should see it on your left in the next block. Can't miss it."

"Thanks," the trainer answered and hurried towards his destination. _Just take a rental room in the center and I'm set for tonight._ He thought with a wide smile on his face. The pokèmon center just seemed to jump out with its big white dome. "Yes! They just gotta have some rooms open!" The trainer cheered and dashed towards the glass doors. They slid open automatically just as he got in the sensor's range. The lobby was just like any other; Plenty of windows to let in sunlight with waiting benches, and the main desk with the doors to the back to either side of it. A section off to the left had several video phones and a pokèball transfer device. There were several trainers on the benches waiting for their pokèmon.

At the desk was a nurse just like every, and any, other. She had light red hair tied back into hair loops under her white nurse cap, and welcoming blue eyes. "Welcome to the Rustboro pokèmon center." She greeted.

The trainer slowed down to at least catch a quick breath, "Thank you Nurse Joy. Do you have any rooms open?" He asked while trying not to pant.

"Of course." She answered and took a room key from under her desk. She handed it to a big pink egg-shaped pokèmon known for its desire to be helpful, in fact it's almost a custom to have these pokèmon in any pokèmon center.

"Chansey!" It cheered in a high voice. "Chansey, Chansey!" The Chansey beckoned the trainer to follow it to the rooms past one of the doors. He followed without question as the pokèmon led him through the corridor. The patient rooms grew into the rented rooms for the trainers. Once Chansey found the key's room it handed the keys to the trainer.

The trainer nodded, "Thanks Chansey." He said and the pokèmon waddled off to tend to the patients. He unlocked the door to his room and entered in; as with every other rented out room in the pokèmon center-slash-hotel, there were two pairs of bunk beds on both walls either side of him, and a window in the opposite wall over a nightstand. "Figures, no TV," he sighed and placed his backpack on one of the bottom bunks.

He unzipped his main pocket of the bag and pulled out a charcoal black device roughly 14 inches long and 10 inches wide. Then he pulled out a cord and plugged one end into the device and the other into an outlet into the wall. "I'll just let that recharge…" He mumbled cheerfully under his breath as he put the device on the nightstand. After which he brought himself back up and out the door, locking it behind him and reminded himself of the room number.

The trainer passed through the main doors and headed for the video phones. He picked up the phone and dialed in; the signal traveled and rang on the other end, soon a woman picked up on the other end of the line. She was in her late thirties, her almond hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and wore a lavender apron under a pastel blue shirt. The trainer smiled, "Hey mom, I made it to Rustboro, and in one piece."

"That's great Kenyon! Did you just get there? Is there any news?" She jumped straight to the questions.

Kenyon sighed, trying to hide the bummed look. "Yeah I just got a room and I haven't made it to the police station yet. That's what I'm going to do next, believe me. I'm just as worried as you are."

"That's good to hear. Just remember that now you're in Hoenn, we can't keep supplying you with what you _really_ need." His mom sounded less confidence as she spoke.

"Moooom, I know."

"Well if you knew then why did you take half our DVD collection?" She asked. Kenyon could just about face fault, but instead his head banged on the tabletop under the video phone. Half the trainers in the lobby turned their heads towards him, wondering what was going on.

"I didn't think anyone would notice." He chuckled pathetically. His mom sighed, knowing that this was a lost cause to begin with.

"Just be careful, and please don't chew up the time you need to do this by watching your movies." She reminded him.

"I will mom, I've given myself the routine of watching DVDs when I'm at the pokèmon centers after it gets late. I swear." Kenyon tried to assure.

"That's what I'd like to hear at the very least. Goodbye and take care Kenyon." She said.

Kenyon nodded, "You too mom." He said before the video phone cut its transmission. _Sheesh, a little faith wouldn't hurt. …Just a little._ He thought with grief as he headed back out into the city.

When Kenyon first stepped into Rustboro, he thought he saw the police station further back. Out of the pokèmon center he headed north towards the center of the city. It was a lighter walk since he didn't have his backpack, the weight was a relief to him, but he was proud in his collection.

As he rounded the corner, there was a large fountain, is seemed like a marker to the center of the city, there were stands of food and tables occupied with customers enjoying a lunch on the pleasant day. Everyone seemed to enjoy their friends and food but one seemed to catch his eye. Kenyon first watched a blue-haired trainer and his Marowak, a pokèmon easily identified by its skull helm. They appeared to be posing, a pair of buddies that wanted to show for it.

Kenyon then followed what appeared to be why they were posing. A girl just slightly older than him stood direction in front of the Marowak and his trainer with a relatively large sketchpad in her right arm. Her attire was both off from the mainstream trend and yet familiar at the same time. She had a violet undershirt and pants with a pale kimono top with sleeved that belled out at the elbows and the bottom ended just above her knees. Around her waist was a thick belt of a darker color to her kimono and tied off behind her. Just like every traveler, she had a backpack slung over her shoulder, wide enough to slide her sketchpad in from behind when she's done.

He didn't have a good look at her face. He guessed she was a sketcher. Absentmindedly, Kenyon approached the artist, curious at just how well she was. Kenyon just glanced back her shoulder and his brow arched in surprise; she was definitely almost done and it was a sketch by pencil alone to behold. Every detail was precise to her targets.

In seconds, the artist seemed satisfied and beckoned the trainer to see the work. Kenyon saw that the trainer was just as astounded. Upon seeing the trainer's smile, the artist carefully tore out the page from the bindery. She handed the paper to him, and exchanged received several bills of money.

Finally the artist turned towards Kenyon as if she knew he was there all along. She took a glance at him, specifically his belt. _Just one pokèball… He must have just started out._ She thought and smiled. "Well hello. Would you like a sketching of you and your pokèmon?"

Kenyon was taken aback just a little; he finally saw her face, or a part of it. Her growing red bangs covered most of her right side of the face, and it seemed a deep blue headband was tilted on her head as it was under her red bangs and over the rest of the brown hair. Kenyon was mostly curious as he followed her headband over her right eye. "Um, not really. Actually, I need to get to the police station."

The artist cocked her head in query, "Is something the matter? Pardon me for asking, it probably isn't my business of knowing."

Kenyon chuckled, "Heh, yeah. Well, I'm Kenyon Knight. I just traveled here from Johto." He said, holding out a hand in greeting.

The artist accepted the handshake after she put the pencil in her headband, "Miranda Ryu, I'm from Ecruteak City."

Kenyon's eyes glittered, "No wonder you're dressed like the Kimono Sisters."

Miranda exchanged the smile, "I used to sketch their fan posters before I moved to Hoenn. What region of Johto do you hail from?"

"I live on the outskirts of Olivine City by the Miltank farms." He answered before the little red flag went up. "Aw man I gotta go, see ya around Miranda! Happy sketching!" He said before sprinting off towards the police station.

Miranda watched Kenyon speed off, practically kicking dust behind him in his sprint. "He did say he needed to go to the police station. Is it an emergency?" She thought mostly to herself.

Kenyon finished his sprint in front of a building with a blue cap-shaped roof. "That must be it." He panted before stepping towards the building. Standing in front of the motorcycle garage was a woman in a navy blue uniform with a skirt, stroking the fur black-striped orange of a dog-like pokèmon, Growlithe.

The Growlithe caught whiff of Kenyon and perked ears in his direction. The officer shared his gaze, "Oh, do you need any help?"

"Not anything in the emergency, but I need to know, have you found anything on the Knights' case? My name's Kenyon Knight." He introduced to the blue-haired officer.

"Oh that case from Johto. Jenny's Case Number 5471, the case of the missing—" Jenny almost declared before Kenyon interrupted.

"Excuse me, Officer Jenny? I only asked if you had any progress with it." He said timidly and somewhat embarrassed.

"I'm sorry but I can't disclose that information. Even if you are a relative." Jenny said informatively.

"Are you serious? These are the prized pokèmon of my family we're talking about! I'm supposed to say that to my parents back in Johto?" Kenyon snapped and his voice jumped an octave. Officer Jenny showed Kenyon an open palm.

"Rest your family assured we'll find you're missing pokèmon. Don't you worry, leave it to me!" She announced proudly just as her radio signaled in.

"Unit 29! Unit 29! Come in, Unit 29!" Her radio blared, "Theft in the Devon Corporation, rumored Team Aqua! Requesting assistance!" Officer Jenny nearly ripped the radio off its clip on her shirt.

"This is Unit 29, I'm on my way." She reported into her radio before jumping on her motorcycle and quickly starting the motor. Her Growlithe jumped into the sidecar and the vehicle blasted by Kenyon. Kenyon apparently saw this as a bigger threat, there was just one thing.

"What's a Team Aqua?" He asked before looking towards the direction Jenny had sped off. Indeed in the distance there was a commotion by the fountain and he thought to look as a bystander himself. As he merged with the crowd, he saw Miranda again, looking on with a more intense gaze than the rest behind the police barricade. "Miranda!"

The Ecruteak artist responded to her named. "Kenyon?"

"What's going on? I heard Officer Jenny got a call about this place…what is this building?" Kenyon wondered.

Miranda looked back on it, almost anxious to answer but just as quickly did. "This is the Devon Corp, they invent and export devices in which makes our lives easier. You're saying Officer Jenny got the call just as you visited her?"

"Yeah." Kenyon nodded, "The emergency is said to be caused by…Team Aqua." Miranda grimaced at the name. "You know them?"

"Team Aqua is like Team Rocket in Johto, but twice the pain, there's also Team Magma." Before Miranda continued, a tiny purple hankie appeared just in front of her. Kenyon just about jumped out of his jeans when it appeared all of the sudden, but seeing Miranda not act the same way was short of embarrassing.

"Shup, shup, shuppet!" The thing spoke; it was obviously a ghost pokèmon now that Kenyon thought about it. Shuppet appeared to have a concerning look in its yellow eyes as Miranda listened to it. "Shuppet, Shupshupshuppetshup."

"I see. You don't think Officer Jenny will find him or the researcher inside?" Miranda asked, Shuppet spun side to side in attempt to shake its head.

Kenyon tried to listen in, but no luck on his half. "What's it saying?"

Miranda turned towards Kenyon with worry in her eyes. _I can't let him follow me to chase the thief._ "Kenyon, can you do me a favor?"

"What?" Kenyon's heads bounced back in surprise, getting s sudden favor from someone who he had just met today.

"Follow Puppet into Devon Corp., she says there's a researcher that's tied up and Jenny will not be able to find him. I'm going after the thief." Miranda stated. "Please Kenyon?"

Kenyon nodded, "Of course. But," he trailed off while his eyes scanned the barricade, "what about them?"

"Like I said, follow Puppet. She'll lead you into the Corporation and through it." Miranda repeated herself before shifting out of the crowd and out of town. Another twist threw Kenyon into a loop and made him stand there dumbfounded until Puppet bit his sleeve and tugged on it.

_Asks me to follow her pokèmon and then she skips town? Hoenn's a crazy place already._ He thought before responding to Puppet's inane coaxing. "Alright, where is he?"

"Shuppet pet!" The tiny ghost pokèmon replied and drifted carefully through the crowd, Kenyon not far behind her. Soon they found the end of the barricade and a staff entrance. Kenyon jiggled the handle but found it locked. After seconds of effort, Puppet simply drifted through the door, there was a tumbling of the locks and then Puppet called Kenyon in.

Kenyon opened the door and closed and locked it behind him. He continued to follow Puppet through the facility, ever so cautious of any surprises. It was like any sort of office building would be, wing after wing of offices and other various rooms, including testing labs. At the next turn, Kenyon found Officer Jenny and Growlithe searching a room of clutter.

"Jenny," Kenyon called.

It wasn't pleasant, "What are you doing here? This is police business! It's not safe for you here!"

"Well, yeah. But," Kenyon tried to explain before Puppet floated on ahead. It hovered next to a door that led into another corridor.

"Shupshuppet shuppet," Puppet said.

"Growlithe!" Jenny's partner barked and bounded towards the door. Again, it was a locked door, locked in from the other side; and just as before, Puppet phased through and unlocked it. As Jenny burst through, Puppet led them further down the hall.

Finally Growlithe had caught a scent and dashed ahead Puppet, stopping short of a janitorial closet. Jenny jiggled the handle, "Oh no, this one's locked." There was a muffled voice on the other side.

"Isn't it just locked from the inside like the rest?" Kenyon asked.

"Closets aren't normally inside locks. If they're locked in anyway, it's because someone had the keys to it." Jenny answered, trying to think fast.

"Shuppet." Puppet interjected strongly and stared at the door.

Jenny looked curious, "Is this your Shuppet, Kenyon?" Kenyon shook his head. Just in front of them Puppet had a hard look of concentration on her face. Then her eyes glowed purple, soon the doorknob did. Kenyon and Jenny heard the lock tumble and become unlocked. "It used Psychic! That's a clever little ghost." Jenny praised it and finally opened the door.

A shamble of cleaning tools as well as a white-coat researcher fell out, bound and gagged. Jenny and Kenyon both caught him and propped him against the wall just outside the closet. Jenny carefully removed the gag, in which he spat out, "What are you doing here! You need to catch Team Aqua!"

"What has Team Aqua stolen?" Jenny asked.

"A member of Team Aqua has stolen a very valuable piece to a submarine we are developing in Slateport City! You need to catch him officer!" The researcher panicked.

_Is that why Miranda bolted? I think she headed west._ Kenyon gulped to ask something a little off-topic. "Officer Jenny, what's west of here?"

"Huh? West is the Whismur Tunnel. It's incomplete because the construction of the tunnel disturbed the Whismur living in the cave." Jenny answered short and sweet while untying the researcher.

Kenyon sprang on his feet and left Devon Corp, turning to Puppet. "Is that where Miranda headed? You saw where the thief went?"

"Shup, shup." Puppet nodded and Kenyon wasted no time.

As Kenyon circled out of Devon Corp and in his jog he thought about himself. _Wow, this is a little surprising, I have been doing nothing but running all over Rustboro and I'm hardly breaking a sweat. Maybe I should carry my backpack more often._ Kenyon's smiled faded when his cons of the scenario entered. _What am I thinking? The more I have to do things unnecessarily, the less time I have to myself and my movies. I'm not getting fat._

Once Kenyon reached the outer limits, he stumbled over a ridge to find a quarter-scale piece of mountain. There was no way around it and apparently it was the discontinued tunnel project to travel through it; there was even a rest house for the workers that once took part of the project. While Kenyon pondered about where Miranda could have gone next, Puppet flew by, going into the cave.

"Miranda went that way?" Kenyon asked to get a double-check of the situation but the ghost pokèmon already flew into the cave. Oddly enough there was still temporary electricity running through it, mining lights hung from the tunnel ceiling. Puppet soon reunited with her trainer who was knee-deep in battle.

She had another ghost pokèmon, this one had a bulbous head with red eyes and a red necklace just under her chin and shrouded in a purple veil-like form, a Misdreavus. Her opponent was a tiny gray-furred wolf pup, a Poochyena, and his trainer was dressed in a sailor themed costume with a black shirt under a blue vest, blue jeans with white circles running down the right leg, and a rugged black beard to complete the distraught sailor expression; under his left arm looked like a piece of equipment. He had been cornered and was forced to fight a battle in order to escape. "Miranda!" Kenyon called out.

"Kenyon, what are you doing here?" Miranda looked back just as the tiny Poochyena lunged for a bite. Misdreavus barely dodge and kept her eyes on him until she got the next order. "Possessor, use Shadow Ball!" Miranda commanded. By the order, Possessor's eyes turned black and a sphere of black energy crackled in front of her. In an instant the ball flew in Poochyena's direction, but it was hardly a hit.

Kenyon watched with an arched brow, "Do you only have ghost pokèmon?"

"On me, yes." Miranda answered while still in battle.

The opponent declared his next attack, "Poochyena, Bite it again!" The wolf pokèmon darted headlong into the Misdreavus and marked a direct hit. In a panic, Miranda caught her pokèmon in her arms after she was seriously injured.

Kenyon saw how weak the ghost pokèmon had become. Against the dark types, ghost pokèmon can barely inflict damage and take twice as much. "Miranda, I'll take over." He volunteered.

Miranda jumped, "But Kenyon, you only have one pokèmon! Aren't you just starting out?" Half-ignoring, Kenyon stepped ahead and plucked the pokèball off his belt. With a tap of his finger, the marble-sized ball increased to fit his palm. "Kenyon, are you listening to me? This is Team Aqua!"

"All the more reason to step up to the plate," Kenyon tossed the pokèball in his hand a few times before actually throwing it. "Sapphire, you're on!" The pokèball burst open in midair and a stream of white light erupted from the hollow sphere. The light landed on the ground and molded into its shape of the occupied.

"Eevee!" A new voice chirped to Miranda's surprised. In front of Kenyon was a tiny brown pokèmon with a powder-puff mane around its neck, long brown ears, and a fluffy brown tail. It had a collar around its neck just over the mane with a sapphire pendant. "Eevee!"

_His only pokèmon…is an Eevee? Knight…Eevee…_ Miranda's gears turned slowly in her head as it came together.

Kenyon boasted, "All right Sapphire, your time is now! Tackle!" The Eevee took a stance before charging headlong.

The Aqua trainer grumbled, "Poochyena, match his Tackle with yours!" The opposing pokèmon charged in like it was a jousting competition. Both Tackles landed head-on but Sapphire won it out, the Poochyena was thrown back. When Poochyena tried to recover and keep fighting, a black mark on the back of its neck pulsed. The wolf collapsed.

Kenyon looked just as confused as the Team Aqua trainer, until Miranda answered. "That was Curse. At the cost of half of Possessor's health, the opposing pokèmon gradually has its health drained."

The Aqua trainer growled deathly and held out a pokèball. "Poochyena, return," he commanded and Poochyena was zapped with a red laser, the pokèmon itself glowing red and warped back into the spherical machine. He was about ready to toss out another pokèball when Growlithe tackled in and bit his right arm. "Gah!" He cried as the pokèmon's fangs sank in.

Officer Jenny was right behind Kenyon and Miranda, pointing a gloved finger sternly at the Team Aqua member. "You are hereby under arrest for attempted theft!" She announced in the cave boldly, making the walls whimper.

With her spare hand, Miranda jerked at Jenny's shoulder. "Pardon me officer but do remember this is the _Whismur_ Cave." She reminded harshly under gritted teeth.

Kenyon's eyes were glazed with confusion. "Whismur?" His Eevee bounced onto his shoulder, guessing that the battle was over.

"They're pokèmon that are extremely sensitive to sound and will cry out with an ear-splitting Screech if they feel they're in the slightest bit of danger." Miranda answered swiftly and pointed behind the subdued Aqua member. There was a small pink pokèmon with yellow-tipped lop ears quivering with a whimper in the corner. "That's one of them." Miranda's voice turned into a bare whisper.

By now the Aqua brute surrendered, with Growlithe still on his arm. Without disturbing that or other Whismur, the thief was cuffed and the group moved out of the tunnel. Once they got away from the tunnel, Officer Jenny declared in a proud voice. "I appreciate your help and bravery in capturing that thief. The city thanks you and the Devon Corporation thanks you. I will now take this man in for interrogation. But I will need one more inch of your help."

"You need us to return this to Devon? No problem." Kenyon said while holding the stolen device in his hands.

"Greatly appreciated. We'll let you know when we've found your missing pokèmon. Have a good night." Officer Jenny marched on with the broken Aqua grunt. It was as she said; by now the sun was only a thin line of gold across the horizon and the sky to the east was already violet.

Kenyon smiled contently, "Shouldn't take us that long. Or…shouldn't take me that long. I'm sure you had other plans than…" Kenyon's own mind finally clicked. "Did you know that happened all along, that thief in Devon?"

Miranda blushed, almost matching her bangs. She quickly turned away with an offended look. "You think I'd act sooner if I knew? When I arrived in Rustboro this morning I saw a shady character enter Devon's back door. Only natural to have Puppet or another of my ghost pokèmon check it out." She said while cradling her Misdreavus. "And what about you? How do have an Eevee as your only pokèmon?"

Kenyon chuckled, "Well, my name should have given it away, since you lived in Johto, too. I'm Kenyon Knight, of the Knights of Eevee breeding and research center."

"Heh…guess I should have guessed. Unfortunately I'm not sure how common 'Knight' is among these parts, or how phony Knights will brag that they're a part of that center." Miranda said and looked down on her Misdreavus. "I'm going to have to stop at the pokèmon center first. If you want to go ahead and take that to Devon Corp, I'm not stopping you." She said and headed towards the center once they reached Rustboro again.

"A machine can wait a few minutes, your pokèmon looks hurt." Kenyon worried and stuck by Miranda as they strolled the brisk night towards the building. They entered through the sliding doors and a Chansey had taken the front desk. By now most of the trainers in waiting had gone to their rooms. "Hey Chansey! Could you take a look at Misdreavus here?"

"Chansey!" The pokèmon nodded and turned to one of the doors. "Chansey Chansey!" The door was opened by another Chansey pushing a stretcher. Miranda nodded and carefully placed her exhausted Misdreavus on the stretcher, giving her a light stroke on her head before she was taken into the back.

Kenyon put a hand on Miranda's shoulder. "She'll be fine."

Miranda softly smiled, "Thanks Kenyon." Then turning to her Shuppet, "And thank you for helping him out there." She picked a pokèball off her belt and prepared to return the ghost.

"Shuppet." She acknowledged and flew back into the pokèball.

Kenyon found his next favor to be the last thing for the night. "You can stay here and wait for Misdreavus."

"At this late hour? I mean I know Nurse Joy's busy, but Possessor only has battle damage. Like you said, she'll be fine. I bet all she needs is a good rest and recovery. As for that thing, I'll come with you. I'd like to see it returned as well." Miranda insisted and started to head out towards Devon again.

The city streets were quiet with streetlights shining over the main road. The night had finally got cold enough to send Kenyon shudder. "Should have brought a coat." He mumbled and looked at Miranda. "Aren't you cold?"

Miranda's exposed skin was her face, and hands but her outfit seemed to be thin and not meant for enduring brisk chills. "It's tolerable." She answered and her mind went on to other things. "You have missing pokèmon?"

"How'd you…?"

"Hard to miss with Officer Jenny's declarations."

Kenyon tilted his head, "Yeah, a little while ago our center was broken into and several of our pokèmon were stolen, among them was Sapphire's dad." His Eevee whimpered and his ears fell.

Miranda's fingers covered her lips in a quick light gasp. "I'm…I'm sorry."

"Not your fault. After a month or so it led the family to Hoenn, so that's why they sent me. That and I need a 'lesson in responsibility.'" His last phrase changed in tone from depression to irk.

Miranda had a minute's thought. "Do you mind if I help?"

Kenyon tried to sound endearing, "No, I can't drag you into this. You probably had other plans."

"None in particular that needs my immediate attention," Miranda rejected his answer, "Besides, Team Aqua has your face now, and mine. It's best if we stick together for survival purposes. On top of that I'm a traveler, a wandering sketcher. I don't have a lot on my plate accept care for my pokèmon and make my living."

"Well, if you want to come." Kenyon shrugged.

"I feel I'll have to, you're new to Hoenn and I've traveled the region the past six months. I have a better feel of the region than you might have." Miranda answered. They had just entered the main doors of Devon and approached the front desk. "Excuse us. We have come to return this. It's what the thief stole earlier today."

"Oh yes, thank you." The receptionist replied, "The president's office is on the third floor. Please take it to him personally." The trainers nodded and took a set of stairs in the corner of the room. They heard as the receptionist called the office. "The navigational system has been recovered. It will be to you shortly, Mr. Stone."

At the second level, there was a large room filled with computers, and gadgets among gadgets. Kenyon and Miranda could have watched in awe if they weren't busy, and moved on to the stairs leading to the third floor. They came to a red oak door finely polish with a bronze plaque stating, "Mr. Stone Devon Corporation President." Because Kenyon had his hands full with the device, Miranda tapped her knuckles on the door.

"Mr. Stone?" She asked after knocking twice.

"Door's open. Come in." A voice called on the other side. Miranda grasped the metal handle for the knob and pushed it open. The room the trainers stepped into was a splendid burgundy with intricate ceiling molding all around. At his solid oak desk was an elderly man who still had a strong of youth, much like Briney. He had a very formal wear. Of course, what businessman wouldn't? Especially the president of a corporation. "Ah, you two caught that Team Aqua thug and returned the navigational system. I thank you on behalf of the company."

Miranda looked at the device Kenyon held in his arms. "Is that really what it is?"

"Yes it is. That is the Devon Corp's navigational system specifically designed for a submarine in the works in Slateport City. It was supposed to be delivered by the end of the week." Mr. Stone stated.

"Supposed to?" Kenyon repeated, "You mean because of this you're going to have to delay the delivery?"

"It's apparent that Team Aqua will strike again before the delivery, and may strike the delivery en route. Which is why I'd like to ask you two a favor." Mr. Stone leaned onto his desk, his knuckles propping his head as the elbows stood on the desk.

_Oh no._ Kenyon and Miranda thought in unison.

"At your earliest convenience, I'd like you to deliver that for me to Captain Stern in Slateport City." Mr. Stone made his request.

_Must be joking._ Again Miranda's and Kenyon's minds synced. _Don't you have some other messenger in mind?_

While Kenyon felt obliged to reject because he had other things, Miranda stepped up, "If it means that there won't be a repeat of this, I can take it." She volunteered.

_Thank you Miranda._ Kenyon praised in thought and handed the machine to her carefully.

"I greatly appreciate it." Mr. Stone thanked her, then turned to Kenyon, "May you travel with her too, to Slateport at least?"

Kenyon smiled pathetically. "Yeah sure, no big." _Not like we agreed to travel together in the first place._

Things were wrapped up and the two made their way back to the pokèmon center just as the doors were closed for the night. Just as they entered the sensor was shut off and Nurse Joy locked the door. Her eyes looked over onto Miranda. "I don't believe I got you a room here tonight."

"Are they filled up?" Miranda asked.

"All the rooms are occupied but most of them have one trainer." Nurse Joy answered solemnly.

"Well she can have the other bunk that I'm not using." Kenyon suggested, making Miranda jumped and stare at him with thoughts of what he plans afterwards. "What? What are the odds that if you knocked on any door they'll be already asleep or full-up?" Seeing his point, and how Kenyon had acted through the day, he didn't seem to have any particular interest. Keywords: didn't seem.

Reluctantly, Miranda found no other choice and agreed to bunk with Kenyon for the night. The two headed back towards Kenyon's room. He locked the door and the two entered in; Kenyon snatching up his bag from the opposite bottom bunk and placed it at the foot of his. "Wanna movie tonight?"

"Pardon?" Miranda didn't seem to pay attention as she slid off her bag while still holding the device.

"A movie, you know." He repeated with a grin of glee and found that his machine had fully charged. He opened his up and the inside of it consisted of a LCD plasma monitor and a DVD reader. Then he visited his backpack and pulled it open.

Miranda had to have counted at least three dozen titles inside his bag, along with microwave popcorn packages and sorts of candies found in movie theatres. Miranda nearly slipped the navigator system from her hands._ What…the…heck?_

Kenyon didn't seem to mind it until Miranda had the expression of shock and confusion for too long. "You know I get the same face from my parents. At least I'm not getting fat."

Miranda shook her head, clearing away her expression. "Sure, maybe a movie. What do you have?" She asked as she slid the system into her bag in front of her sketchpad.

"Take a look for yourself." He offered and Miranda browsed the titles, picking one and they both watched it from the nightstand. Near the end, both of them had drifted off. Thankfully, if the menu screen that reappears after the movie was in idle for more than ten minutes, the player would shut itself off.

**To be continued...**


	2. Aboard the S S Haunter

**Chapter 2- Aboard the S.S. Haunter**

Kenyon woke up to the sound of popping, bones popping. He lifted himself out of bed and looked until he saw Miranda doing stretches at the foot of her bunk, when she bent her shoulder around a series of pops and cracks sounded off. "Didn't sleep well?" He asked.

Miranda turned around as she had her left upper arm a little behind her head, "The bed kinda sagged. My preference is firm." When she looked at Kenyon closely, she saw that his hair was an absolute mess because his headband had fallen off as he slept. She suppressed most of her laughing in the back of her throat.

"I know, I have bed head," Kenyon chuckled and started to look for his headband. The morning sun soon woke up Sapphire, and the Eevee jumped on the bed looking for it when he saw Kenyon's mess. Soon Kenyon found it in between the wall and the bunk. "I'll freshen up, and then we'll grab breakfast and head to Slateport. That sound good?"

Miranda yawned as part of her stretches, "That sounds fair. I'm going to check on Possessor." She walked out after Kenyon and Sapphire and he locked their door behind them. Taking separate directions, Miranda came out the doors back into the lobby. Nurse Joy was as bright and awake as she would be in the evening, almost hard to tell if she got any sleep if all she did was wait at the front desk and cared for the injured.

She approached the front desk after looping around from the back. "How's my Misdreavus?"

Nurse Joy smiled, "She's recovered fully and can leave at any time." She pressed a button just under her desk. "Chansey, please bring out the Misdreavus."

"Chansey!" Came a cheer from the other side of the doors. A Chansey carted a stretcher out and just Miranda saw her Misdreavus, the pokèmon happily flew into her arms.

"Glad you're all right Possessor." Miranda hugged.

"Misdreavus!" Possessor replied.

The back doors opened again and Kenyon walked through with both their travel packs, Sapphire back in his pokèball. He smiled with a bit of a blush, "Doesn't seem like they have breakfast here. So I grabbed our bags and we'll head to one of the food stands around here before we head out of Rustboro."

"Sounds like an idea." Miranda replied as she picked out Possessor's ball and returned her. Kenyon handed Miranda her bag and Nurse Joy the room key. The trainers bid their farewells and ventured out into another clear morning. Rustboro was hustling with life, as if the theft attempt from yesterday wasn't completely affecting the city.

By the fountain, Kenyon ordered up a pair of fresh cinnamon rolls and rejoined Miranda who was looking over a map of the Hoenn region at a table. "Here you go, "Kenyon said and handed the pastry to Miranda, and then saw the map in front of her. "You know how to get to Slateport?"

"Not the shortest route." Miranda answered and bit into the roll.

Kenyon bit his tongue from the answer. "But I thought you knew this region."

"Not long enough to get some short cuts worked out." Miranda pointed with her pencil on some of the routes. "Backtracking through Petalburg and Oldale Town is an idea until we come across a lake that flows into the ocean. It's too long to swim but it's too shallow for any boat to travel safely. If the tunnel project was complete, we could go to Verdanturf, then Mauville and head south from there."

Kenyon tried to look over the map himself, "And it'll take way too long to go north and around right?"

"Meteor Falls if a difficult path to climb." Miranda nodded.

Kenyon munched on his roll while trying to think himself. "Slateport is a seaside city right? Maybe if we can borrow a boat we can take a route south. I mean in a boat we'd be traveling a lot faster."

"Any ideas?"

"Captain Briney! He got me to Hoenn, I'm sure he can get us to Slateport, after knowing what we need to do." Kenyon suggested proudly, "His dock is on the other side of the Petalburg Forest." Miranda's thinking over was only a second. She nodded in agreement to asking Mr. Briney the favor. They finished up breakfast and moved on ahead back towards Briney's dock.

On the path, Kenyon found the beach trail he took around the forest. However, the tide was high and the water was at least three feet deep. "Man, we're going to have to go through the forest." He slumped, his bag of movies, sliding off his shoulders.

"That's not so bad, there's actually a one-way shortcut through the forest. And I need to go in anyway. Let's go." Miranda suggested and walked towards the forest's path in.

"But we're going to be running into pokèmon! That's what Briney said." Kenyon said while catching up to his traveling companion. "Why do you need to go through it anyway? You're catching pokèmon?"

"Ah nope." Miranda said with a smile. "Now it's my turn to surprise you, I do have one pokèmon that isn't a ghost, and he's really helpful in gathering for me. The cool thing is, he only works for berries!" Kenyon's head tilted to one side.

_Works for berries? I feel sorry for that guy. Miranda is getting cash for her drawings and he only gets berries for going on Easter egg hunts._ Kenyon thought to himself as they began to walk deeper into the forest. When the beginning of the path faded out of sight, Miranda dug into her pocket and pulled out a small bronze whistle. She pressed it to her lips and blew.

There wasn't any sort of sound from the whistle.

Then a brush not far began to rustle all of the sudden with chatter. "Zigza zigza zigza zigza." The chatter was getting louder until finally a form jumped clear out of the bushes. "Zigzagoon!" He sprang out and zigzagged his way towards Miranda on fast little feet. His fur looked prickly in the striped pattern of chocolate brown and tan, with a black mask over his eyes and a gray handkerchief made into a carrying bag on his back.

Miranda smiled widely, "Hey Scout!" The Zigzagoon stopped short in front of Miranda, his wide eyes narrowed and a grumbling sound escaped his mouth. Kenyon guessed, and he seemed to have guessed right. Miranda kneeled down towards him, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry Scout, the pokèmon center doors were locked when night fell and I had to sleep there. I know I was supposed to camp out here last night." Scout looked a bit skeptical as Miranda tried to explain. "We sort of…ran into trouble with Team Aqua and it took most of the day in Rustboro."

Scout's ears perked when she mentioned Team Aqua and he seemed to have forgiven. He set the small bag down, and jumped into Miranda's arms for a hug. "Zig Zigzagoon." He peeped with his tail wagging.

"Thanks." Miranda replied. "So, what do you have?" Scout jumped out of her arms and nudged the handkerchief with his nose. Miranda opened the bag and revealed a mass assortment of berries, all different shapes, color, and sizes.

"Oh, so that's what you meant when you said he works for berries." Kenyon connected the dots, "I guess pokèmon prefer berries over money."

"Well, Scout does." Miranda replied and took a handful of berries, opening towards her Zigzagoon. Scout immediately dived in and chewed berries by the mouthful; a mistake he is soon to learn when he bites into a berry pit. When Miranda's hand was clean, she picked up the rest of the berries in the cloth. "Want one?" Kenyon looked at the berry array and carefully picked one.

It was yellow and looked like a small melon fruit. "You sure we can eat these berries? Back in Johto, berries were usually safe for the pokèmon because they cured conditions."

"Well, here there's a lot more variety of berries, and they're safe for us as well." She answered and saw Kenyon about ready to eat his pick. "Oh, you must have some strong taste buds."

Kenyon popped the berry into his mouth and bit down only once. His face puckered and eyes welded shut as he ate it. Finally when he swallowed it his face nearly came back to normal. "I don't think Pixie Sticks are _that_ sour." He commented while trying to swallow the sharp aftertaste.

"Well you could have asked. That was an Aspear Berry, really sour in flavor." Miranda snickered, "Was it edible at least?"

"Yeah." Kenyon smiled while his eyes watered from the sheer sour impact.

"Zagoon." Scout insisted and jumped up onto Miranda's pack.

Miranda turned around, "Hey, easy. I've got a piece of equipment in there." Scout bounced off and his natural curiosity nailed him; the Zigzagoon began to sniff around Kenyon's sneakers, more out of curiosity than suspicion. "Of course, you need to get your fill of things. We're traveling together." Scout nodded and bounced in stride with his trainer.

Kenyon had a wandering look while the trainers traveled through. "So, how is there a shortcut?"

"There are steep ledges trainers use to get down and avoid the thicket passes." Miranda answered and walked towards an edge of the path. Just as she said, it was a steep, smooth rock that led to the next level of land, like a giant staircase. She positioned herself to go down feet first with hand supports, and then slid down gently. Once she reached the bottom of the ten-foot slide she looked back up to Kenyon, "It's easy to slide down. It's just trying to climb this stone that's the hard part." Scout slid down the rock like it was a playground slide, and had just as much fun.

Kenyon had a cautious look before he tried to match Miranda's position. Once he felt comfortable he slid down; on the way losing his balance and end up sliding on his belly sneakers first. Either way he had made it to the bottom, Miranda snickering. He groaned, "That didn't ruin my shirt, did it?"

"Nah, you're fine, at least you have two more tries to keep balance." Miranda shrugged and headed onward to another ledge to repeat the process.

By the third one, Kenyon held his balance all the way, just stumbling his footing on the landing. They saw the path's woods end now and headed towards it seeing Briney's dock just on the shore. "Hey, here's here!" Kenyon cheered as he saw the boat and dashed over in excitement. "Hey Captain Briney!"

The elderly captain raised his head from his boat tending. "Kenyon!"

"I…kinda need to borrow your boat again," Kenyon said flat-out as Miranda and Scout approached, "We need to get to Slateport City."

"Slateport huh? I'm sure I can do that for you. And I see you've found a traveling companion." Briney's eyes met Miranda.

"My name's Miranda Ryu, and you have my gratitude to let us that much of a trip. I'll pay for the gas." She offered.

"Oh no. No need to do that. I'll be glad to take you two to Slateport." Briney offered up and began to pack up his boat with their help. In almost a half-hour, the boat backed out of the dock and began its shoreline journey south.

Scout and Sapphire played lightly on the boat's dock while Kenyon and Miranda relaxed on the benches in the open bow. Miranda appeared to be resting peacefully as the wind blew through her hair. Kenyon's curiosity got the better of him as he turned his head in her direction. Now with the hair out of her face, he saw that Miranda's headband was more of an eye patch: it had covered up her right eye completely.

After a moment of staring at her covered eye, he didn't notice the left eye had opened and glaring at him. Kenyon recoiled and tried to make a recovery. "Um…I have a question."

"As long as it's not about my eye," Miranda answered plainly. Kenyon just stared more until Miranda started again. "Is it about my eye?"

"Yes." Kenyon answered before slapping his hand over his mouth. "It's personal isn't it? I mean if you don't want to talk about it…"

"I'm blind in my right eye." Miranda answered, interrupting Kenyon's apology for asking.

"That's it? You're blind in one eye? Why...no wait, you don't have to answer. Sorry." Kenyon apologized again.

"I've been blind in this eye since birth… It's an extremely rare condition where everything is attached to the eye except the optic nerve, the nerve that sends what this eye sees to the brain." Miranda explained briefly.

Kenyon tried to suppress his questioning about Miranda but his thoughts slipped out of his mouth. "Should you do something?"

Miranda groaned, "It's alive either way. The doctors said that its fine, it's not going to become infected or die or be rejected. Besides, I seriously doubt it's possible to get an eye transplant. And as a final note, I've been doing well with one eye for eighteen years." _…Except when I was picked on in grade school…_ She seemed to lose focus on Kenyon and more on herself.

There was at least five minutes of silence except for the boat's motor before Kenyon lifted his voice again. "You were telling me about it before that whole situation with Aqua slammed. What's Team Aqua and…what's the other?"

_Much better._ Miranda sighed and came out of reclining on the bench. "Team Aqua and Team Magma are two rivaling gangs in the Hoenn region. Their rivalry disturbs the cities if they're not disturbing trainers themselves. They're superficial groups, superficial because they want to alter the perfect balance of nature."

Kenyon tried to absorb it all at once, "Either way they're both bad, right? Not good for the community, either of them?"

"That's right. Team Aqua wants to increase the oceans and sink the land. Team Magma wants to increase the land and dry up the sea." Miranda said. Kenyon gave her a completely confused look. She nodded, "My reaction exactly when I first heard it." She leaned back and pulled out her sketchpad. "True or not, there is rumor that Team Aqua and Team Magma are inspired by the legend of Groudon and Kyogre, the Entities of Land and Sea.

"It is believed that our world today was created by the influences of these pokèmon; and even the pokèmon themselves had the same battle that Aqua and Magma are trying to ploy. Groudon, the entity of land, desired the new world to be covered by landscapes, mountains, plains, and so forth. And if you can guess Kyogre…"

"The entity of Sea wanted the world to be that of the sea, lakes and other forms of water." Kenyon tried to follow.

"Bingo." Miranda confirmed his guess. "This war raged on until two orbs were created, the red orb and the blue orb. These orbs' energies calmed the enraged pokèmon and, having fought this battle of territory, Groudon and Kyogre left the surface of the planet, burrowing underground an eventually disappearing from history. What remains is the world today, the continents and oceans are somewhat battle scars of that ancient war." She finished as her pencil began to dance along the paper. While she was talking there was a flock of Wingulls and Pelippers flying alongside the boat.

Kenyon looked back in the boat's deck and watched as the Zigzagoon and Eevee played. He whistled Sapphire over and the Eevee jumped into his lap, Scout followed and continued his curiosity of the new trainer.

Miranda resumed the conversation as she drew, "So how about the make things fair, you tell a little bit about yourself?"

"Well, my hobby is watching movies. I can't get enough of them." Kenyon began. "And of course you know I'm one of the Knights of Eevee."

"But what do you exactly do?"

"Me, what do I do?" Kenyon's smile was added with a sweat drop. "Well…to tell the truth, I…didn't exactly inherit the interest of research like my parents. They're the ones that study the how and why the Eevee's DNA is so…what's the word?"

"Flexible?"

"That's it! Yeah because, they have like five known evolutions: Flareon, Jolteon, Vaporeon, Umbreon, and Espeon. According to dad…I think he said that certain requirements need to be met before an Eevee evolves. And since it's possible for Eevees to evolve without the Stones, they're wondering what other conditions need to be met for new evolutions."

"You know I've been wondering why some pokèmon need stones to evolve." Miranda pondered. Unfortunately Kenyon didn't have a clear-cut answer; he didn't think his parents had it either. "So, if you don't assist your parents in the research, what do you do?"

"I guess when there's nothing else, I care for the Eevees like they are my family. Feed them, bathe them, play with them, I even help deliver the new litters." He said while scratching Sapphire's ears. "They'll even watch movies with me." His grin was wider.

Miranda had a comforted smile. _At least he doesn't neglect any chores._ "That's interesting. Do you at least learn from your parents and pick up a few things?"

"Not…that I can remember off the top of my head." Kenyon said with a chuckle in his throat.

"Hm." Miranda pondered while pulling out her bag of berries. She dug her fingers in before picking a pink peach-shaped berry and taking half of it in a bite. "Do you know if these sorts of berries grow in Johto now?"

"I doubt it." Kenyon said looking over the berries in her bag. "Um…what berries do you recommend? I don't want to run into something like the Aspear berry again."

"Well…your basic berry comes in five flavors, in a combination or as the only flavor. They also come in textures and firmness." Miranda started with a little joking around. "In flavor, we have Bitter, Sour, Dry, Sweet, and Spicy."

"Berries can be spicy?" Kenyon asked. Miranda dug around her bag until she pulled out a long berry; it was white and narrow at the top, then get wider like a trumpet bell. It had a red flame pattern around the "bell" of the berry.

"This…is a Figy berry. Have you ever had brand name hot sauce?"

"Yeah…?"

"One bite, three-fold."

Kenyon's eyes bulged. A little disbelieved but why not take the word of a local? "Well um…I think I'd like to have a sweet berry." Miranda dropped the rest of her berry into her mouth and searched for another one in its likeness.

"This is a Pecha berry, simply sweet in flavor, like eating a sugar cube. But since you live on sweets I don't think that's a problem with you." Miranda snickered and handed it to Kenyon who was also chuckling. Kenyon looked at the berry a moment before taking a bite himself.

He grinned, "Taste like Skittles candies." Sapphire looked like he wanted a bite and nipped at the Pecha, tasting it in his mouth, and then cheering with satisfaction. Kenyon laughed, "Seems like Sapphire likes it sweet too."

"He can help me with most of these berries then." Miranda suggested and picked another pink color berry that cad a crescent shape to it. "Then we have different hardness of berries. The Pecha berry was pretty soft right?" Kenyon nodded. "This Mago berry is a little harder, but still sweet. I'd give these to Scout when he wants to chew on something."

Scout's paws were already on the edge of Miranda's seat, begging for the fruit. Miranda tossed the Mago to him but it didn't get bit down instantly like the Pecha. Once Scout had the fruit he stayed by her feet chewing through it.

"Kenyon? If the Eevees don't have these berries, what do you feed them at the center?" Miranda asked out of her own quandaries.

"Well, we do get milk from the Miltank farms. But they eat the pokèmon food my mom makes." He answered and dug through a side pocket of his pack. "I make sure to keep it separated from the microwave popcorn." Kenyon pulled the bag out and began to feed Sapphire, piece by piece.

Ahead an island was rising from the ocean horizon. Briney called from the wheel, "I hope you two don't mind if we make a stop at Dewford Island; I actually kind of have to, to make a reservation on the Slateport docks."

"Why do you need a reservation?" Kenyon asked over his shoulder.

"Slateport City is a seaside tourist attraction, getting tourists from both land and sea." He answered.

Kenyon saw as the island grew larger in sight. "Guess it wouldn't hurt. I'll probably have to tell my parents the police won't disclose anything about the missing pokèmon." He sighed with disappointment.

"Do you or would you have any ideas who could have done it?" Miranda asked.

"Our biggest guess is Team Rocket, but since it brought me here…are Team Aqua and Team Magma pokèmon thieves?" Kenyon asked for assurance of his guess.

Miranda took a moment of thought, "I wouldn't count them out for being thieves, but that's my opinion." The boat began to slow down as it approached the Dewford Island dock. Miranda and Kenyon packed up their things and hid their bags in the bow storage; Miranda taking just her sketchpad along.

Once the boat was tied down, the passengers departed. Captain Briney told the two, "It shouldn't take more than an hour. Meet me back here."

"We will," Kenyon nodded and the two set foot on Dewford Island. It was small, hardly a city and yet not really a village. It had its own pokèmon center, mart, and gym, and a good number of island residents. Off the dock, Kenyon, Miranda, and their pokèmon walked the sandy beach into town. To fit the scenery, the pokèmon center looked like a beach shack with a giant "P" above its doors.

Kenyon and Miranda stepped through its doors, automatically greeted by the Dewford Nurse Joy. A wave back then Kenyon spurred himself to the video phones, dialing in quickly. "I think you'll like my parents." He said as the phone rang on the other end.

_It'll definitely give proof that you are the real deal Knight._ Miranda thought as the phone finally picked up.

"Kenyon!" His mother chimed, "Anything with the police station?"

Kenyon tilted his head, "They wouldn't disclose anything to me. Did they tell you anything?"

"Not a word I'm afraid." She replied and looked towards Miranda, "And who is this?"

"This is Miranda, a traveling artist. She sketched the Kimono Sisters' posters back in Ecruteak." Kenyon introduced, "Miranda, this is my mom, Felicia Knight."

"A pleasure Mrs. Knight," Miranda nodded.

Felicia looked up Miranda, "You're the one that made the Kimono Girls' posters? That is some brilliant artwork for someone so young."

"Well, thank you, but really, I've only sketched those. Someone else did the coloring." Miranda said modestly.

"It's still very good work of the Girls' dance and ceremonies." Felicia praised. Then she turned back to Kenyon, "Are you sure there hasn't been any developments on the missing Eevees?"

Kenyon's gaze lost sight of his mom, "I'm sorry. There hasn't been anything worth giving to me that I can relay. However, Miranda gave me the lowdown in this region. There're two more organizations that are enemies, Team Aqua and Team Magma." The two began to summarize what the two teams were about with Felicia listening intently. Halfway through, a man stepped in behind her to listening in on the phone call. He appeared in his late-thirties, with rich brown hair done nicely over a face with much knowledge of his practice. Kenyon introduced him as Roderick Knight.

Roderick looked thoughtful, "Well it's good that you have someone willing to help you, and knows the Hoenn region. Our biggest worry was losing contact with you while you were in the next region. But still can't help worrying that Sapphire isn't…what's the word, Sapphire isn't getting as much attention as your movies," Kenyon's head banged on the table again.

Miranda could almost do the same, but Kenyon recovered to come back on his father. "I'll have you know I could only watch one movie before I turned in at the pokèmon center yesterday…and maybe one movie while I was on Briney's ship to Hoenn… Are you sure the battery isn't shot on my player?"

"Only two movies yesterday? That's a personal best for you." Felicia kidded.

"I may have only met him yesterday but he's a good guy. He even helped me during a Team Aqua encounter. I've never seen an Eevee knock away something its own size in a Tackle." Miranda tried to help him from his parents' sarcasm.

"We were actually on our way to Slateport to make a delivery. We're here on Dewford because Captain Briney needed to take care of something." Kenyon included.

Roderick sighed, "Well, I guess if it's necessary to travel the region, you might as well take on a couple of volunteering efforts. Just because we haven't gotten a word from the police doesn't mean we're giving up."

Felicia jumped back in, "Before we end this phone call, may I see Sapphire?" Kenyon nodded and handed the phone to Miranda so he could pick up his Eevee for the camera.

"Eevee!" Sapphire cheered in a hello.

Felicia could only do a visual examination, which disappointed her; however, Sapphire's condition appeared to improve in the time she had expected. "Well if there's one upshot about you Kenyon, you do take care of the Eevees' basic needs when you need to."

Kenyon could remake his smile, "It's the least I could do…I'll admit, for not having the same breeding interests as you. And Miranda showed me some new berries that grow here; we can eat them, too." As he talked, Miranda gave Sapphire another Pecha berry.

Felicia and Roderick watched as Sapphire ate the berry happily. "Maybe we should have some of those berries harvested." Felicia suggested.

"Or Kenyon can be nice to us and keep a journal of Sapphire and the other Eevees we send him. What they eat, what environments they travel to, and so on." Roderick made a second suggestion, "That's what you should do, Kenyon…Kenyon?" Kenyon's face was pressed against the tabletop.

After a moment, his voice finally marked his presence. "Are you serious?"

"Would you feel better if I said, 'No'?"

"Yes." Roderick's and Felicia's shoulders slumped. Miranda was the odd one out for the minute after until Kenyon recovered again. "Would you feel better if I tried?" He surrendered.

"It would definitely be a first for you." Felicia replied, "In fact you should go buy a journal here and start today. I mean you've only begun yesterday so you should be able to recall all the details."

Kenyon faked a smile, "All right mom, I'll try."

Roderick nodded, "If you need some words of motivation, I'll have this cleared. You are a representative of the Knights of Eevee in Hoenn. If you're pulling an effort with Sapphire the next city you call us from, we'll send you Ruby."

Kenyon lifted his head, "Ruby? Sapphire's sister?"

"If we see a well documented journal of Sapphire's activity, we'll send you Ruby. Promise." Felicia assured. "Miranda may be able to help on your entries."

"Keep in touch Kenyon, and Miranda, thank you for your help." Roderick bid his farewell before going back to his work.

"It's no trouble." Miranda smiled.

"Take care, Kenyon, Sapphire. We'll talk to you later." Felicia's turn came next.

"You too mom, dad." Kenyon finished and the line closed.

Miranda arched a brow, "You weren't kidding about not being interested in the research; didn't seem like your parents have faith in you."

"Well if they could, they would have come here instead of me, but their work is keeping them in Johto." Kenyon answered, sounding bummed.

Miranda looked sympathetic and patted Kenyon on the back. "I can say this much. As a fellow Johto resident, I can't abandon someone in need."

"Thanks again." Kenyon accepted and checked the time, "Briney should be done soon. I'll head to the mart. Can you wait for me in the boat?"

_After I get this recorded down._ Miranda thought and tried to find an excuse to stay on the island otherwise. She looked over her shoulder and saw a trainer with a Blaziken outside. _Saved by a model!_ Miranda smiled widely and dashed out the door. "Excuse me! Blaziken!" Miranda acted like an ecstatic admirer. "I can't believe this, I always wanted to draw a Blaziken, but I only could when I actually saw one. May I? Please?"

The trainer looked a bit startled, but an ego boost eliminated it. "Well sure, I mean if you want to draw him, go ahead."

"Thank you! It shouldn't take long, I promise." Miranda could jump for joy. And she prepared her sketchpad. "OK, Blaziken, can you pose for me? You're about to do a Blaze Kick. Can you?" The Blaziken in question raised his right leg in the moment before it would flare up into fire. "There, perfect!" Miranda began to sketch to look convincing.

Kenyon stared dumbfounded after Miranda had found her next target of sketch. _Well…I think that makes us even for twists of character. One pokèmon and one habit each…yeah, that makes us even._ He thought as he held Sapphire and Scout at his sneakers.

In mid-sketch when she believed she had the illusion down, Miranda flipped a page corner to a fresh page and quickly scratched down a note. _I have made contact with the son of the Eevee breeders in Johto. I will continue to keep an eye on him._ She noted and turned back to the previous page, continuing her sketch. She added in the finishing touches and smiled satisfied. "I greatly appreciate it. I don't have a Blaziken of my own and I've always been fascinated by its fighting style mixed with flames."

"Ah, don't mention it. Anything for a fan of mine." The trainer's ego inflated.

Miranda's eye narrowed, "Not you, your Blaziken. Thanks again." She stepped up to the pokèmon and shook its claw before trotting off happily.

Kenyon snickered, "You've got your sketch?"

"Well it definitely made my day today." Miranda cheered and showed Kenyon her latest sketch; again another very detailed work of art done by pencil alone. She looked back on the boat they were using. "You think Briney's ready?"

"Wait on the boat for me? I need to get a journal, to humor my parents." Kenyon sighed.

Miranda had an amused chuckle, "Keeping a journal isn't that hard. But, I'll make sure Briney stays on the dock for you." She said and headed for his boat while Kenyon made a short stop into the mart.

Kenyon made sure it was quick, all he needed was a notebook and a few pens; after paying he made his way back to the boat just as Briney started the engines and his boat pulled out of the dock.

* * *

An hour of travel, the shoreline of the main region sped by. Miranda and Kenyon were quickly enjoying each other's company. Both of them were from Johto, actually, they thought it was crazy that they didn't know each other sooner. Miranda hailed from Ecruteak City, the city which held the legends of Entei, Raikou, and Suicune, and the legendary rainbow bird Ho-oh. Several miles west, Kenyon lived just north of Olivine City, practically a next door neighbor to the Miltank farms.

"So is that why you got interested in ghost pokèmon? Because of Ecruteak's Gym Leader Morty?" Kenyon asked Miranda.

Miranda blushed beet red. "Well…my interest in ghost pokèmon was when I met my Misdreavus, she was my first ghost pokèmon. She has a very good demeanor and I suppose that what had me. While in Ecruteak, I heard of the Hoenn region and the landmark Mt. Pyre. It's why I moved, and when I got there I came across Shuppet.

"But I suppose to answer your question, I'm wondering about a few things about ghost pokèmon. Like where do ghost pokèmon come from?" Miranda said before she got too carried away.

"Aren't they just like other pokèmon? I mean water pokèmon come from the sea and other bodies of water." Kenyon tried to answer.

Miranda took a deep breath before asking. "What becomes of us when we leave this world alive?"

Kenyon's mind clicked to where Miranda was saying. "Oh…I see what you want answered. Ghosts as we know it come from people who passed away. Ghost pokèmon… Your mind wanders to questions that aren't bothered to be answered, doesn't it?"

"Well, I don't have your hobby. If I'm not sketching, I'm going to have to do something else." Miranda said before looking off in the distance. "That's odd…"

"What?" Kenyon asked as Miranda stood up to get a better look.

"I've never noticed that before." Miranda stood there pondering as the boat passed by. She was gazing at an old boat that had been caught up in the rocks, practically falling apart. "Captain Briney? What is that?"

Behind the wheel, Briney looked in their direction. "Well, as it does look like, it's an abandoned ship. I reckon four-five decades old."

Miranda looked eager to see the boat more closely. "Can we get closer?"

"My boat would shallow out over there, but I'm pretty sure I can find you a pokèmon that can get you there no problem." Briney offered and slowed his boat down. "Let's see if this ol' captain still has it." He shut off the motor and lowered the anchor by a mechanical crank. Briney stepped towards the boat's starboard and gazed into the distance with almost hawk-like eyes.

Soon it paid off, a water spout shot like a geyser in the distance. "Wailmer ho, let's go Peeko!" Briney declared and his Wingull flew off the boat straight towards it. "Use Steel Wing to get started!"

"Wingull!" Peeko answered and its wings glowed with a brief metallic shine and dive bombed the target pokèmon. The impact was strong enough to send a bloated pokèmon flying out of the water, white belly up.

Kenyon looked up in shock, "What kind of pokèmon is that! It's almost as big as a Lapras!"

"It's a Wailmer as Briney declared." Miranda answered, "A salt-water pokèmon that has an uncanny ability to come up on land by filling itself up with water and bouncing like a giant ball." Kenyon whistled with surprise.

The Wailmer landed with a splash that was powerful enough to rock the boat sharply. The tilt sent everyone bracing themselves, even Kenyon had to catch Sapphire from rolling off the boat. When the Wailmer recover, it inhaled water until it was twice its size, and then a torrent of water ejected from its mouth.

"Peeko, dodge!" Briney commanded and the Wingull gained altitude to avoid the Wailmer's Water Gun. "Now use Quick Attack!" The Wingull picked up speed and shot into Wailmer like a bullet, again knocking Wailmer into the water and sending another wave into the boat. The vessel swung around by the chain of the anchor and sent everyone off their feet.

Miranda braced herself by clutching the bench just as she saw Kenyon flip over the bow. "Kenyon!" She cried as she only saw Kenyon's knuckles left on the boat and Sapphire holding himself on the bench.

"I don't have my backpack on! The DVDs are fine!" Kenyon answered from the other side of the hull and tried to climb back in. "A little help please?" Immediately Miranda offered a hand to try and bring Kenyon back aboard.

Behind her, Briney cried, "Hydro Pump coming to Starboard bow!" Miranda's head jerked in the other direction just as a blast of water hit her dead on after missing Peeko. She was thrown clear off the boat's bow and going into the water, losing her grip on Kenyon as she went over the bow.

Miranda resurfaced after a few seconds. Kenyon still held on to the boat's rim and tried to help Miranda mostly out of the water. "You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I can swim." Miranda replied, "and…my sketchpad it safe. I don't have it on me now." Scout and Sapphire jumped on the open bow benches, looking hopeless to help them.

Briney turned back after he ordered his Wingull to attack again. "You two, Eevee and Zigzagoon! Toss them a life preserver! I'll pull them aboard in less than a minute here!" The two pokèmon obeyed and Scout tugged out an orange inner tube from under a seat. Sapphire grabbed it and pulled it over port side into the water where Miranda held on.

Kenyon was still holding on to the side of the boat and began to shuffle towards Miranda. "I don't want to get soaked…" he groaned.

"We'll have plenty of time to sun dry on Slateport's beach after we check out that abandoned ship." Miranda commented while keeping herself mostly afloat. After a moment Miranda paled as she looked down under the surface, a figure was hovering around her side. "Eee-ah!!" She screamed and slapped at the figure strongly. A Remoraid flew out of the water in Miranda's swing and splashed back in. "Remoraid pervert…can't tell the difference between a person and a Mantine…" She grumbled.

Kenyon chuckled, "Well, your sleeves do look like Mantine wings." Miranda didn't really accept the joke and splashed Kenyon. Kenyon swung aside to try and not take most of it. "Hey, come on!"

To them, the battle seemed to wind down while they held on to the boat; being on the port side, they didn't have the best view of the battle. They could hear Briney shouting orders of attacks. "That' should be enough. Pokèball, go!" Briney declared as the ball flew through the air and tapped Wailmer on its bulbous body. The pokèball opened up and Wailmer's body shrunk into it with a dazzling show of red light. The ball flew into Briney's hand and jiggled around as if Wailmer was trying to escape. After three shakes, the pokèball subsided; Wailmer was now Briney's pokèmon.

Right after the battle, Briney came to the other side of the boat; first pulling up Kenyon before he lost his grip, and then both of them pulling up one soggy Miranda from the life preserver. Back on the boat, Miranda began to wring out her clothes and shaking her hair dry, even handed a towel Briney had on the boat.

"My apologies back there you two. I didn't think my boat would be affected by the Wailmer." Briney said as the trainers dried off.

"So, you caught this Wailmer…we're going to ride it to the abandoned ship?" Kenyon asked while dumping his sneakers of water.

"That's the plan." Briney replied and held Wailmer's pokèball. "Go Wailmer!" Briney declared and his pokèball exploded, bringing Wailmer back on the side of the boat in white light. Wailmer's sudden buoyancy rocked the boat as he appeared. "Do you mind taking a few to that abandoned ship over there?" The Wailmer seemed inviting and once Miranda wasn't dripping soaked, the two of them returned Scout and Sapphire and carefully got on Wailmer as he floated in the water.

"Thanks Briney!" said Miranda graciously before the Wailmer disembarked. It gently swam towards the boat on the rocks, really showing its age of weathering and no attempt of restoration.

Kenyon couldn't help but ask. "Why do you want to go to this abandoned ship? Is there anything there?"

Miranda hardly looked like she would question herself, "It just interests me. I just want to go through it once. If I find something, that's great. If I don't, that's okay too." She answered as the Wailmer began to shallow at two feet, its belly rolled up on the smooth sand and finally beached himself.

The trainers slid off and expressed gratitude before continuing on foot into the abandoned ship. It was a pretty large boat, almost like a commercial cruise liner but nothing major, it didn't have the luxury of the ships that traveled between the seaport cities. Miranda looked into through a hole in the hull first, wide enough to walk into the boat. She had peered in what seemed like a hallway for the room under the deck.

Kenyon looked in after her and instantly his arms were shuddering with goose bumps. "Miranda, don't you feel that?"

"Yeah, but I've gotten used to it. It means something promising is in here." She answered before stepping in and walking through the unbalanced hallway, almost had one foot on the floor and the other on the wall. Kenyon followed uneasily, trying to avoid sliding his hand over mildew. The bottom half of the ship was soggy from the tides, wood planks beneath their feet were warped and splintering.

The further they went in, the whistling of the wind became a faint howling scream. Miranda tried not to get it bothering her, while Kenyon was shuddering like he was in an earthquake. "Come on Miranda, I'm seriously getting the feeling that we should leave." He complained.

Before Miranda could answer, the screaming suddenly got louder, forcing both of them to slap their hands over their ears. "I know we're invading…" She said under breath, or at least she thought, she couldn't hear herself in the shrill. Two of her pokèballs broke away from her belt, enlarged, and snapped open, releasing her Misdreavus and Shuppet. "Possessor, Puppet?"

The Misdreavus' eyes glowered red, a Mean Look. It seemed to have made the screaming subside back into a howl that wasn't from the wind. Possessor stopped her look and tugged on Miranda's sleeve. Miranda look confused, "Something you know Possessor?"

"Misdrea." She answered and forced Miranda forward. Puppet flew in behind Kenyon and tried to push him to follow Miranda. Both of them were slacking at first, but Miranda soon picked up the pace as the howling became louder.

The howling suddenly stopped, so did Kenyon and Miranda. Miranda's eye scanned around in front of her; Kenyon behind her shuddering with fear. Even when nothing seemed to have happened, Kenyon let out a yelp. "GAH!" Miranda turned around sharply and saw Kenyon with his arms crossed in front of him in an act of defense. His whole body was twitching instead of shuddering. "I felt something…something cold and wet…on my arm." He said through his teeth. "I can't…move."

Miranda saw the wetness on his arm. It wasn't water. "A Lick attack…you're paralyzed." Miranda concluded. "And I didn't bring my berries."

"Shuppet!" The pokèmon cried in warning. Out of the corner of her eye, Miranda barely dodged a large slobbering tongue that had come in between her and Kenyon. The tongue took a second swing at her, in effort to avoid it she threw herself back but lost her footing. She stumbled backwards and fell when the floor collapsed under her heel.

Kenyon cringed and tried to react, just barely moving. "Mir…Miranda." He watch as Miranda tried to get a third swipe of the visible tongue.

After the third move, Miranda wasn't in a position to evade again and the tongue knew it. It sprang out for another strike when Possessor cried out and tossed a Shadow Ball. "Misdreavus!" The black orb bolted into the tongue inches from Miranda's face and stopped the Lick attack altogether. The tongue went spastic and went out of sight; the shadow on the wall where it came from slid down the hall in the direction they were going. "Misdreavus! MisMis Misdrea! Misdreavus!" Possessor tried to pursue the shadow down the hall.

"Possessor!" Miranda cried after but couldn't leave Kenyon behind. She winced before turning to Puppet. "Get a Cheri berry. It'll cure Kenyon's paralysis." The Shuppet obeyed and phased through the boat. When Puppet left, Miranda turned her attention back on Kenyon, worry in her eyes. "How easily can you move?"

"Not…easily." He grunted. "Are there a lot of…pokèmon in Hoenn with…large tongues capable of…Lick?"

"Kecleon…but we don't see just the tongue with that one…not without its red zigzag pattern on its belly." Miranda replied while wiping the slobber off Kenyon's arm, trying to help. "It's more than likely…"

"Gastly, Haunter, or Gengar." They said in unison.

Despite paralysis, Kenyon could still look surprised. "…but…aren't they Johto?"

"It's possible a ghost pokèmon could stray regions because it's an outcast…or if the pokèmon traveled with the ship… Are you numb?" She asked. Kenyon shook his head in response. "Good, it's just a mild paralysis then…" Miranda had a quick sigh of relief before turning her head in the direction Possessor darted off into, now nowhere in sight.

Kenyon was still twitching, fighting off the paralysis on his own, "If you're worried about your Misdreavus…go ahead after her… I'll be fine… I've got Sapphire." He cracked a grin. Miranda didn't know what to do until Puppet came back with a tiny berry stem in her mouth.

Miranda took the berry and plucked its stem off. "Open your mouth." Kenyon looked a little surprised before he struggled to open his jaws. When it was enough, Miranda popped the red berry in past his lips. "Now bite and swallow." She instructed.

Kenyon shoved the berry into his teeth and bit down, the juice practically burned his tongue and his body snapped out of it instantly. He coughed when the bits of berry went down his throat. Finally his voice cracked, "It's hot…"

"That's how you know it's working." Miranda replied with a relieved smile and waited for Kenyon to regain his senses.

Kenyon flexed his fingers and arms, checking to see if paralysis had worn off. He smiled, "Okay, I feel better. Now let's go find Possessor." He said and the two resumed in the direction Possessor had darted off, careful footing and all. "Do we know if Possessor made any turns while chasing that thing?"

"Misdreavus!" The familiar voice chimed in far ahead and led on Kenyon and Miranda through the hall and at least one flight of stairs. Eventually they found Possessor in a large room. The wood on the walls, ceiling, and floor were going to shambles there were even holes going into the next floor under.

"I think this is the captain's quarters… A little polishing and it could look like Amelia's quarters." Kenyon commented. "Right now its Jack's quarters."

Miranda arched a brow, "Pardon?"

"You know; Amelia of the R.L.S. Legacy from _Treasure Planet_ and Jack of the Black Pearl from _Pirates of the Caribbean_." Kenyon tried to explain. Finally Miranda understood and began to examine the room with Possessor being of constant vigilance. Kenyon paused a minute before asking, "Why did your Misdreavus lead us here?"

"It's probably where she lost whatever she was chasing." Miranda answered and her foot tapped a sphere on the ground. Out of every musty object in the room, it had caught her eye the most. She carefully picked the sphere up and on close inspection it looked like a pokèball of sorts. When she handled it, it began to disturb the entity that had haunted them.

"Misdrea! Misdreavus!" Possessor barked to ward off the presence.

Miranda continued to wipe clean and fidget with the sphere. It definitely looked like a tan colored pokèball: divided in half with a button that functioned as a release, or in this case, a dial. Kenyon had cautiously paced his way towards the desk that took up the back of the room. He carefully slid open and closed drawers until he found a small book tucked deep in one, mostly protected from the rot of the ship. "I…think I've found the captain's log." Kenyon said as he flipped through the blurry pages. "The ink's smudged up too much. I can barely read it." He flipped through the pages until there was a missing page. Then the rest of them appeared blank. "Missing page…missing last page."

"And I believe I've found it." Miranda said. In her fiddling she had figured out how to open the relic pokèball; inside was a perfectly preserved folded page torn from the log Kenyon handled. The presence in attendance stirred once again; this time it seemed that it wouldn't listen to Possessor's reason. The massive tongue reappeared and whipped around.

Miranda was interrupted from folding open the page inside the pokèball. "Puppet, use Psychic!" She commanded.

"Shuppet!" The pokèmon responded and her eyes glowed purple, freezing the tongue right before it slapped Possessor but straining to keep hold of it.

Quickly Miranda unfolded the page and skimmed the barely touched ink. She looked up to the tongue that was trying to break free of Puppet's Psychic. "Nightwind!" She declared and Puppet lost control. The tongue disappeared into the darkness and mold. "Is Nightwind your name? Is this your pokèball?" Miranda asked without a proper target to ask to.

Kenyon gulped, eyes constantly scanning for the disembodied and dangerous tongue. "Miranda, what are you saying?"

"Did you know there was a message in this pokèball? It's addressed to a Nightwind." Miranda stated and the chilly presence quieted. Miranda and Kenyon both looked in the same general area, three violet orbs phased into view, one large orb in the middle of two small orbs. The orbs took shape; the smaller orbs turned into three-fingered hands and the middle orb grew white eyes and a large mouth housing the haunting tongue.

"Haun…ter…" It groaned.

"That's what's been haunting us? A Haunter?" Kenyon asked as the Haunter looked at the items in their hands.

"Not just a Haunter, you're Nightwind, right?" Miranda asked and the Haunter nodded. "There's a note for you, should I read it for you?"

"Haunter." It nodded in answer. Miranda took a second look at the page, a long one.

"_Nightwind. This had been a successful business you and I, starting this cruise liner between the countries. However, this boat was ill-equipped for any severe storm, even the one we're approaching now. And I feel I will not make it through. 'A captain goes down with the ship,' they say. I will make that saying true. I was a proud man to be your trainer and my final wish when this boat takes its final journey is that you are free when my soul is. Please, do not be bound by me because of your pokèball. You are as free as me. Farewell my comrade, Captain J. S. Nebil._" Miranda recited, nearly going into tears. Kenyon was already sniffling. And Nightwind had to take time to absorb it. Miranda looked at the date. "This note will be 43 years old in two days."

"Haun…Haunter?" Nightwind seemed to be still processing.

Miranda looked up. "You were bound by Nebil for some time weren't you? Or at least…bound by the pokèball he captured you with." She stared at the pokèmon's ball. "If you didn't know this note was in here, you must've not seen the inside of a pokèball for over four decades."

"But…how does a pokèmon get its freedom from a pokèball of a trainer who is long gone?" Kenyon asked aloud the same question Miranda had in her head. "Is it possible for a pokèmon to just simply leave?"

"If it isn't…" Miranada mumbled before lifting the pokèball over her head. "Nightwind, I believe it's been long-since overdue to fulfill your trainer's final wish."

_CRASH!_ Miranda threw the pokèball into the floor and it nearly shattered into dust rather than pieces. Only its dial remained in the tan debris. The audience in presence looked astounded at Miranda's action, especially the Haunter in question.

After a moment of awkward silence, Kenyon finally spoke up. "Well…I think that constitutes as freedom. Where are you going to go Nightwind?"

"Haunter," was the simple reply before vanishing from sight. Even when he did disappear, the haunting presence the ship had once before was absent.

Miranda took one last look around. "Suppose that's our cue to leave too." She sighed and prepped her pokèballs. "Puppet, Possessor, return." In beams of red light the ghost pokèmon disappeared into their respective balls. Kenyon put the captain's log he had with its torn page back into the drawer it was safe in and the two walked back out into daylight.

Kenyon jumped out of the abandoned ship first, stretching himself in the bright warm sun. "Well that was an interesting adventure for the day." He commented and turned to see Miranda coming out of the ship, looking gloomy. "Are you going to be okay Miranda?"

"Huh? Yeah…I'm fine." Miranda answered in a quiet voice. "Our Wailmer ferry anywhere?" She asked and on cue the Wailmer they rode on surfaced. With one last look of the ship, Miranda and Kenyon boarded the Wailmer and traveled back to Briney's ship.

Briney smiled as they returned, "How was the exploration of the ship?"

"Pretty eventful. Even ran into a pokèmon on the ship." Kenyon answered.

"You mean that pokèmon behind you?" Briney asked and pointed over their shoulders. The two turned around and saw Nightwind floating behind them with the captain's log in his hand.

"Nightwind?" Miranda asked in the most confused expression. The Haunter held out the captain's log in front of her. "But…that's Nebil's log…I couldn't take it."

"Wait, did you say Nebil? Captain J. S. Nebil?" Briney asked shocked.

"Yeah…This is his log. Do you know him?" Miranda answered with more confusion.

"Jake Nebil was a captain of an old-fashioned cruise liner back when I was a lad. I didn't realize that was _his_." Briney shortly explained and turned to Nightwind, "And you, I remember you when you were a little Gastly." Nightwind blushed with a chuckle.

"His pokèball was still intact for all these years and he lived in the boat." Miranda answered. Nightwind made sure she wasn't ignoring the offer of keeping his captain's log. "Nebil wished his Haunter to be free when he went down with his ship. I broke Nebil's pokèball to fulfill it." Nightwind insisted she'd keep the captain's log as well as stay with Miranda.

Kenyon smiled, "Seems like he wants to be free by traveling with you. You did help him get free after all."

Miranda looked back to the Haunter, "Do you really want to travel with me?"

"Haunter!" Nightwind answered and it seemed Miranda couldn't argue.

"Nightwind has always been a loyal companion to Jake. I'm sure he'll have the same degree of loyalty to you." Briney smiled and returned to the wheel, raising the anchor and starting the engine.

Miranda sat down on the open bow bench and gazed at Haunter. "Welcome to the team, Nightwind." She greeted and offered a handshake, Nightwind accepting.

Kenyon grinned, "Yay! New travel buddy!"

Nightwind turned to him with a wider grin. "Haunter!" He cheered and nearly Licked Kenyon again.

He couldn't really step back to avoid the tongue, "Not the face!" Too late, Kenyon got a face-ful of tongue and twitched in paralysis again. Miranda and Briney were busting with laughter. "Hey…guys? Another Cheri…berry please? …And a bottle of water?" When Miranda settled down she popped another berry, going through the same routine.

"You're going to have to get used to it sooner or later Kenyon." Miranda chuckled along with Nightwind floating with the ship. While Kenyon snapped back, Miranda turned to her new Haunter while digging through her pocket for an empty pokèball. "Ready for your new home?"

"Haunt haunt." Nightwind nodded and Miranda lobbed the pokèball, bonking Nightwind on the head and then catching it again. There was no struggle in the ball, Nightwind has settled in as Miranda's third ghost pokèmon.

Kenyon had just finished gargling water and spat overboard. "Congrats, Miranda."

"Thanks." Miranda answered while staring at the new pokèball in her arsenal. "Now how about your journal?" Kenyon froze, and then groaned.

"Do I have to?" He sighed as he dug out his notepad, "I can barely remember what Sapphire did yesterday."

"You just need to start when you came to Rustboro? I'll help, I doubt you had anything to yourself before meeting me." Miranda offered and helped Kenyon writing in his journal as the boat glided to their city of destination.

**To be continued…**


	3. All Quiet on the Slateport

**Chapter 3- All Quiet on the Slateport**

Another hour aboard Briney's boat with the orange sun just barely hanging over the ocean's surface, the traveling trainers soon saw beach and ports lining the city of Slateport. "This is it you two, Slateport City!" He announced as the boat pulled in, weaving through departing and ferries and other fishing boats. "Bear in mind, you're on your own after I leave Slateport. I can't stay here long."

Kenyon's shoulders slumped but Miranda turned around to reply, "It's ok, it should be easy travel on foot from here, thank you again." She said while packing up her supplies, and checking to see if the Devon goods were still intact.

"Yeah, thanks Captain Briney. I owe ya." Kenyon added on as he lifted his bag over his shoulder and making sure he had Sapphire's pokeball equipped.

"Think nothing of it, Kenyon. Good luck." Briney said as he disembarked from the dock for the next boat.

Kenyon watched with an awkward face as Briney sped off. "Did he plan to drop us off this whole time?" He asked.

Miranda nodded, "I'm pretty sure he had that in mind the whole time. But don't worry. It's easy travel on foot from here…unless we need to go to Mossdeep City or Sootopolis." She said before pacing off the docks. "Come on, we need to find Captain Stern and deliver this thing." Miranda insisted and began to step off the dock.

Briney wasn't kidding. Slateport was a huge city of trade and tourism. Inland there was an outdoor market selling everything the pokemarts don't sell normally, along the beach line on safe heights from the waves and tides was the museum and farther down was a very large warehouse. And all around were houses and smaller businesses.

However something else sparked Kenyon's interest. "They have a theatre! I hope I didn't miss any openings." He cheered wildly and was about ready to sprint in the cinema's direction.

"What about calling from the pokemon center?" Miranda asked and Kenyon nearly stumbled over on his feet. "Not to mention we need to find Captain Stern and deliver this piece of equipment. I'd rather not keep him waiting since Devon put us to send it."

Kenyon slumped, "So…which will we head first?"

"I'd probably say the pokemon center and tell your parents you made it to the next city in one piece." Miranda suggested and sluggishly, the two trainers made their way to the pokemon center near the center of the city. They passed by a building that looked as decorated as the theatre but labeled as "Slateport City Pokemon Contest." It was an extravagant building, designed with a rainbow of colors and murals of pokemon painted along the sides of the building. In front of it trainers and pokemon gathered.

Kenyon tilted his head to a side, "Miranda? What's a pokemon contest?"

"It's exactly what it sounds like." Miranda answered. Kenyon's mental gears began to crack by the teeth because he didn't get an answer he was hoping for. "Trainers show off their pokemon in a display of techniques that awe the audience and the judges. At least that's the first round of the contest, more or less the qualifying round."

"Have you been in a pokemon contest?" Kenyon asked while they still walked by.

"No, but I have gotten some dollars off sketching the contestants." Miranda continued. "What I like about pokemon contests is that they use the pokemon's techniques as a source of entertainment more than battle and it's a way for pokemon and trainer to come closer together. There's actually a real art to it."

"Like the bullet effect on _The Matrix_." Kenyon opted with a grin.

"I've seen a lot of parodies for that. But as it should, _Matrix_ did the best of it." Miranda agreed and the pokemon center doors slid open before them. "Are we going to bunk here for the night?"

"I think we should. We spent most of the day out at sea." Kenyon replied and they both approached the front desk.

Like a running gag for a sole-comedy film, a Nurse Joy stood at the desk. "Welcome to the Slateport Pokemon Center." She greeted.

Kenyon could only wave with a crooked pseudo-grin. "Heh, thanks." He answered before trekking to the video phones. "Miranda, think you can get a room?"

"Don't you mean 'rooms'?" Miranda asked, hoping his grammar was off.

"Well how can you watch one of my movies when you're in a different room?" Kenyon added on with a more confident smile, but nothing that foreshadowed anything regretful. After a moment of awkward silence, it wasn't getting anywhere fast so Miranda agreed to get a room key.

Kenyon then turned to one of the video phones, grabbing the receiver and dialing in. In no time at all, the other end of the line answered, this time Roderick. "Kenyon, you're in the next city?"

"Yeah, bunking in at Slateport. Maybe their police can tell me something." Kenyon replied with a smile, "How's it been there?"

"Ruby is eager to see her brother." Roderick smiled and the Eevee jumped on his shoulder, shining on her collar was a Ruby gemstone. "So as for the deal, how did that journal turn out for the first day?" Kenyon smiled and went digging into his backpack, soon pulling out the journal from Dewford and opening to the first page towards the camera.

It was difficult, but Roderick has read through an entry, muttering key points he have noted. Afterwards he looked up to Kenyon, "I know this is your handwriting but did Miranda do all this for you?"

SLAM! Eventually Kenyon was going to break his head doing this, letting gravity take over and send his head into the tabletop. "Daad! Miranda only helped me with the berry names, I swear!" He groaned with the receiver still in his hand.

Roderick was still looking things over on Kenyon's journal. "Well I do hope you're doing most of the work… I suppose it wouldn't hurt. You're on the mainland again so I suppose you'll need her." Kenyon's head perked as Roderick turned away from the camera. "Felicia? Can you get Ruby ready for transport?"

Kenyon's attention was reclaimed, "You're sending Ruby?" he asked hopefully, then dwindled down. "What's the catch?"

"If there's any catch, the catch is to keep a journal logged in on the Eevees we send to you as well as the travels you've done by the day." Roderick explained. "Other than that, just be sure to take care of them."

"Don't tell me you doubt me there too. I've always taken good care of the Eevees back home and I'm not going to slack while I'm in Hoenn." Kenyon tried to sound convincing. Roderick chuckled, nodding.

"I know that Kenyon. Even though you don't have the interests of research as we hoped for, you do make up for in the care you have for the Eevees. Your mother's preparing Ruby's transport, what's the TIN there?" He asked as Felicia picked Ruby off Roderick's shoulder.

"TIN?" Kenyon asked with much confusion.

"The Transporter's Identification number, it should be labeled on the front of the machine." Roderick briefed as Kenyon looked all over the machine. "It should be an 8-number code on a yellow label right near the base where the receiving platform is."

"Um…4175-7963." Kenyon recited for Roderick.

"All right, Ruby will be sent to you in a few moments here. We'll keep the line open until she gets through." Roderick nodded. By now Miranda had walked out of the back, just made the reservation and still had her pack with the system in it. "Miranda, good to see you again."

Miranda smiled, "Likewise Mr. Knight."

"Miranda, if you don't mind, I have a question. When did you dye your bangs?" Roderick asked. Kenyon had an awkward stare while Miranda had a moment of thought.

"It was either my last year or second to last year in Johto. I wasn't really allowed to dye my hair until I was fifteen." Miranda answered then became as queried as Kenyon, "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious, honestly. You think I'd remember everyone's face in Ecruteak when some of our caretakers are celebrities." Roderick answered, "The Kimono Sisters have their Eevees for about six years now, that group of Eevees is actually the center's eighth litter and they were all adopted at the same time."

Kenyon nodded, "It was actually the center's first adoption, and it wasn't easy. We were all kinda shaky that we were going to lose some of the family but it seems the Sisters' Eevees are all very well cared for. Sapphire and Ruby are part of the center's seventeenth litter."

"Amazing that you actually remembered Kenyon," Roderick chuckled.

Kenyon grinned. "Well, can't really lose count when I help deliver them right dad?"

"I suppose so Kenyon." He answered then looked off screen for the moment. "Ruby's on her way now." Next to the video phones, there was a machine that had an empty pedestal. Right after Roderick announced the arrival, the machine began to whir with electricity. Two pin points set up to aim at the small indent in the pedestal glowed and zapped the center. There came an orb of light that grew until it was a pokeball.

When the machine was deactivated, Kenyon removed the pokeball from its place. "Alright dad, Ruby's here." He chimed in.

"Excellent, now don't let us down. You've got two to take care of on your own." Roderick said.

"Of course not dad! We'll see you at the next city OK?" Kenyon answered.

"Good luck, hope for the better." Roderick said his farewell before the screen shut itself off and the line went dead. Kenyon hung up the phone and gazed at the next pokeball in his hand.

Kenyon glanced to Miranda, "Why would my dad know you?"

"I did say I was the Kimono Sisters' poster artist. I had to go to their shows so I could get it right." Miranda answered.

After a moment, Kenyon shrugged, "Well, say 'Hi' to Ruby." He said and opened the pokeball. A shower of white light let free another Eevee, Sapphire's twin with a ruby pendant on her collar. Ruby shook herself off, her mane waving about.

Miranda smiled, "Just as cute as Sapphire. Hello Ruby."

"Eevee." The pokemon smiled back. Just as easily, Kenyon's first pokeball popped open and Sapphire appeared. Instantly Ruby pounced Sapphire in a playful greeting and the two Eevees started to wrestle.

"Aw! Too cute!" Miranda couldn't help but pick Ruby up for a moment and upon doing so, noticed something on the back of the pendant. "What's this back here, behind her tag?" She asked.

"That's her correct ID info." Kenyon answered. "On the back of her tag is her name, litter, and her mother's and father's names, and finally the ID number for look up on the computer base back home." Sure enough, Miranda flipped the tag over and the five lines of information were there. Name: Ruby / Litter: 17, 3rd Born / Mother: Amber / Father: Onyx / ID: 1698.

"You said that the father was missing right? Onyx is it?" Miranda asked.

Kenyon nodded solemnly, "Yeah, Onyx is the Umbreon that's missing; and then we're missing four Eevees, three from the twelfth litter and one from the eleventh."

Miranda looking at him with a worried eye, "Oh my…how long have they been missing?" she asked while stroking Ruby.

"About a little over a month now; it was only three days ago that we got a lead into Hoenn." He answered. "At any rate, we should find this Captain Stern guy."

"Captain Stern, you say?" A voice called out, signaling that they were overheard. The two turned around and saw another person in the center. He had amber hair hanging all around his head and sharp gray eyes; wearing a traveler's set of vest and jeans with a number of pockets, and by his leg was a blue amphibious pokemon with a fin on top of its head and orange fins from the sides, a Mudkip.

"You know Stern?" Kenyon asked.

"Who doesn't?" the trainer shrugged, "I actually saw him at the museum when I left my part-time job there. He might still be there. My name's David by the way; and you two look like you're not from around here."

"Actually no, we're from Johto." Miranda answered, pseudo-smiling, "But you say Stern's at the museum here? We really need to see him."

David nodded, "I saw him come in just as I left. He should still be there."

Miranda understood, "Well OK then. Thank you greatly. Cute Mudkip," Miranda tugged on Kenyon's sleeve and led him out of the center with Ruby still in her other arm; Sapphire right at their feet.

Once out of earshot she let go; Kenyon looking at her very strangely. "Miranda, what was that for? He just helped us." Miranda snapped a quick glare at him before taking a deep breath and set Ruby back down to continue their greeting.

"You didn't see what was in his left pocket, did you?" Miranda asked rhetorically.

Kenyon tried to think back on their encounter, "his left pocket…?"

After a moment Miranda answered, "It was a Team Aqua bandana, there's no mistaking that skull-marked 'A' anywhere." Kenyon swallowed hard. "That's why I didn't give him our names. That and we need to get this to the museum. If Aqua is here it means they want to catch the delivery when it reaches its destination here."

"Miranda? Aren't you jumping to conclusions a bit?" Kenyon tried to calm her down, "Besides, the brute that saw us is still in Rustboro, right?"

"Don't suppose any of the movies you've seen has the risk of someone being purposely captured so they can get all the details relayed back to HQ?" Miranda asked, instantly Kenyon understood.

"Well we don't know if that happened."

"We don't know if that didn't happen either. It's best we get ourselves in the clear and get this thing to Captain Stern." Miranda insisted and started towards the Slateport Museum.

Kenyon lagged behind after a moment. _Miranda's starting to sound paranoid…I guess I can't blame her. She must've had some run-ins with Team Aqua. Maybe a movie will cheer her up._ He thought as he caught up to her.

In ten minutes they made it to a building overlooking the ocean. It was finely polished and above its doors was the title "Slateport Museum," oddly there was a line leading out of the museum lobby. Miranda walked ahead, trying not to draw any unnecessary attention, Kenyon dragging behind her. "Hey, wait a minute Miranda?"

"Yes?" Miranda stopped short with her backpack strap held tightly on her shoulder.

"Well…if you're so suspicious of that David guy. Why did you believe him that Stern would be at the museum?" He asked. Miranda paused for a minute, her green eye straying into thought.

"Even if it's a false lead we'll try to keep things low. The brute at Rustboro and David don't know that we have the device. We'll just keep asking for Captain Stern until we find him." She answered the best she could.

Kenyon was silent for a minute. "Yeah guess you're right. I mean you were here before me. You must know a good deal about them, Aqua and Magma I mean."

"…I'm sorry that I don't know if they have any involvement with the missing Eevees." She apologized and looked back to the museum, going on in through the second door.

Kenyon paused for a minute while Ruby and Sapphire were still enjoying one another's company, he sighed and picked their pokeballs off his belt. "Sorry you two." He said and a laser shot from the pokeballs. Ruby and Sapphire turned into red light after being hit and withdrew into their balls. "Miranda! Hang on!" Kenyon now tried to stay in pace with her as they walked past the line at the first door.

They both held their breath while going past member after member of Team Aqua, incidentally all looking penniless, trying to search their wallets for even an ounce of money. Kenyon was exceptionally nervous,_ Miranda might be right…if we blow our cover it's "Game Over, man" for us._ He thought while keeping tabs on Miranda as they passed through the door.

Half of the Aqua there had to have been able to pay the admission and were casually browsing the displays of the museum. Miranda gritted her teeth. _Terrific._

A receptionist to their right caught their attention. "Welcome to the Slateport Museum. Are you two together?" she asked, making Miranda blush badly; Kenyon however didn't quite catch the mixed message Miranda got. "Paying together?"

Miranda snapped out of it. "Um, yeah. Two please?" She pulled out her wallet and paid up front; then she leaned towards the receptionist. "Excuse me, but is Captain Stern here? We really need to see him for something."

"Captain Stern? Yes here's here. Second Floor if you don't see him here. He might be meeting with the curator right now." The receptionist answered. Miranda nodded and walked through into the museum itself with Kenyon right behind her. The museum was a marine exhibit, displaying simple and complex facts about the ocean and machines used to travel on or below the surface. This floor mainly had displays of ocean ecology, erosion, tides, and currents.

Kenyon grumbled, "Any educational clips?" Miranda looked at his awkwardly. "What? I'll take any DVD, VHS, or film clip; as long as I don't have to open a book." Both of them wandered around nervously as Aqua attended the museum like regular goers; it was probably the reason why none of the normal tourism was there.

"Maybe they might have something about Groudon and Kyogre here." Miranda murmured as they walked through the displays. They came across a large stone carving depicting two powerful pokemon, one looked dragonic and the other seemed sea-faring.

Standing in front of the stone carving next to them was a girl older than Miranda with long blonde hair worn down below her waist, and wearing a full-length white lab coat open with a blue shirt and black jeans underneath. A pair of eye glasses was tucked into her pocket, and she held a notebook in her hand taking notes. Sitting on her right shoulder was a small white pokemon with a green bowl cut top and a red fin-shaped antennae coming from its forehead.

Absentmindedly, Kenyon tried to get her attention. "Hey. Aren't you bothered by all the Aqua people here?" The researcher gave no response. "Hey? Helloooooo." Again she was undisturbed. Kenyon turned to Miranda. "I think she's deaf."

"Or really trying to ignore us. A little rude but judging by her attire not surprising." Miranda shrugged, watching Kenyon trying to get the researcher's attention.

"Aqua's here. Aren't you bothered by it the slightest?" Kenyon waved his hand in front of her eyes, finally a reaction. The pokemon jumped to its feet on her shoulder and stared at Kenyon with unseen eyes. Before he could register it, Kenyon was knocked back flat to the floor behind the pokemon's owner with the wind knocked out of him.

Miranda looked down on him. "I guess I should've said something. Ralts is a psychic pokemon that senses emotion. It must've felt her getting irritated or something and caused Ralts to react."

"A warning would've been nice, yeah." Kenyon said after getting his breath back and Miranda helped him back up. On her shoulder, Ralts was still guarding. "You wanna try?"

"I might have better luck than you did." Miranda said and walked up dangerously close to the researcher and her guarding pokemon. She tried to get a peek at her notes to see if she could start conversation. "What are you working on?"

"Aeon." She replied simply and quickly.

Kenyon cocked his head to the side. "Aeon? As in _Aeon Flux_?" Both her and Miranda glanced at him in disbelief.

"No, not as in the movie. The Aeons are an ancient race of people believed to have vast knowledge of pokemon, probably more than what we have today." She explained and closed her notebook, the Ralts on her shoulder sitting back down when it seemed right. "They'd probably know why some of the pokemon became extinct, like Lileep and Kabuto, among other things beyond our own knowledge. Here, their fragment is this way." The researcher led them from the carving depiction to another stone slab.

Under a cube of glass was a smooth slab marked with undecipherable inscription and an image of a creature below it. As Miranda looked interested, Kenyon was groaning behind her. "I thought we had to get that thing to Captain Stern…"

"A lot of the Aeon's knowledge had to be rediscovered ourselves since they vanished off history with barely a trace." She continued, seeing that she had Miranda's undivided attention.

"You must've taken this seriously; I've never even heard of the Aeons." Miranda commented. "Would you know what happened to them?"

"Actually no. Like I said, the Aeons had mysteriously left the historical records with very little clues of their existence and accomplishments, including fragments of a prophecy foretelling a calamity." She replied, tapping on the glass with the slab. "From what I was able to study, the Aeons tell of a dark beast that will inevitably rise onto the surface of our world and cause chaos beyond any imagination."

Kenyon barely getting his attention held but tried to join in anyway. "Is that all to the prophecy? There's no way to stop it? Usually to every prophecy there's a way to stop or defeat it."

Miranda added on with curiosity, "And the beast isn't described at all. Isn't that usually part of the prophecy that can give clues?"

She sighed, "To all of our misfortune that's the only fragment we have here in the Slateport Museum. I'm looking everywhere I can while I study the legendary pokemon. I'm Saphira Nyx, a freelance researcher with my favorite topic of study being legendary pokemon." She finally introduced.

Miranda smiled, "A pleasure. I'm Miranda Ryu, pokemon watcher and artist. And this is Kenyon Knight, breeder-in-training." Kenyon's attention snapped up when he was introduced. "Well…see you around?"

"Probably, I travel a lot." Saphira replied before diving back into her notes. Miranda turned a heel after an unconventional goodbye and started on the stairs to the second floor with Kenyon right behind her.

Again Aqua was browsing the displays on this floor, models of ships, subs, and other marine machines. Here there were two other people who didn't appear to be Aqua, one was dressed in a business uniform and greased back brown hair. The other was wearing a white lab coat that ended at his hips and thick glasses sat on his nose under neatly trimmed dark navy hair.

They were faced by a broad, muscular man with a black suit and a blue bandana, but nowhere on him was an Aqua's A. Miranda tugged on Kenyon to lay low and just act like they weren't interested in the three men at the moment.

Kenyon could make it convincing by snagging a headset for a television screen that was narrating a robot sub's voyage. Miranda bent in at a display to look like she was interested at the model and excerpts for it, while keeping an eye through the glass to watch the conversation without notice.

"The TV board is dying to hear about the progress of the exploration vessel you've begun working on. Have you gotten word about when you'll take the next step of the development?" A ragged voice asked, probably from the broad man; Miranda hadn't tried to look interested directly.

"Once our next piece arrives from Devon…unfortunately there's been trouble on both ends. We have to keep guards on watch at the boat warehouse when we're done for the day." A second voice replied, quite shaky in the response. It was from the one in the lab coat. "On top of that there were two theft attempts right on the premises of Devon itself!"

_A second theft? That must've happened after we took off…_ Miranda thoughts as she continued to hear them out.

"What happened at the second theft? We heard the first one was stopped by a few brave trainers." The third voice made himself noticeable.

_Aw crud, that's us!_ Miranda bit her cheek.

"Curator Michael, I heard that at the second theft, the thief failed to find the item. It had already left Rustboro yesterday evening." The man in the lab coat commented.

"Ah, so it's already on delivery. When should we expect to see it?" asked the broad one.

"We are unsure of that, but hopefully soon." said the lab technician, "We'll let the Hoenn TV board know when we continue progress."

"Be sure to let me know, Captain Stern. Good day." The broad man bid farewell and barely brushed past Miranda who was still faking attention at the models. He was the one asking about progress for the Hoenn TV board.

When Miranda watched him leave the floor, she casually paced to Kenyon and pulled out one of his earphones. "Our turn." She said softly.

"You were the one who volunteered for us. I'll be fine." Kenyon replied, "This clip's actually getting interesting." Miranda stood in disbelief for several seconds before sighing and took the job herself.

_Guess it'll work._ Miranda walked up to the two remaining men. "May I ask if one of you is Captain Stern?" she asked while pulling her backpack off her shoulders.

"I am. Who might you be?" Stern introduced himself while adjusting his glasses.

"Simply a messenger," Miranda answered, holding the backpack in one hand and opened the zipper just enough to show him what was inside.

Stern acknowledged instantly, turning to the curator with a whispering voice. "Curator Michael, could I get a tote bag?" The curator nodded and took the stairs in stride. With Miranda, Stern was shaking, "If…if you had it all along…"

"I didn't want to interrupt." Miranda commented, "Also…you've got Aqua here…" she said lowly. "They did try to steal it in Rustboro, yes?" Stern nodded. Just then the curator came back with a new tote bag from the gift shop. Quickly the device was handed from Miranda to Stern and stowed away into the tote bag.

"Thank you. Greatly." Stern nodded with gratitude.

"Hope the project goes well." Miranda replied and pulled her pack back over her shoulder.

"Anything we can do to reward such a risk?" The curator asked before Miranda turned to leave. She shook her head as she walked away, going back to Kenyon still watching the clip.

_Hopefully it's winding down some._ Miranda thought as she leaned lightly on the display next to him. Finally she saw the credits rolling and Kenyon pulled off the headset.

Kenyon grinned, "Well that was interesting. Now to see a movie with a plot."

"Your player again?" Miranda asked with a slight chuckle.

"Are you kidding! I missed some of the new releases! We're going to go see _Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector_!" He cheered, grabbing Miranda by one of her sleeves. Miranda had a loathing expression on her face.

"Is this payback for dragging you onto the abandoned ship?" Miranda questioned while barely keeping up with his pace.

"About the only thing I can't fault you for is Nightwind's friendliness. Now let's go, the next show is in ten minutes!" Kenyon insisted as they rushed out of the museum, already the sun out of sight and the only natural illumination was the full moon.

* * *

In the pokemon center's lodging quarters, Kenyon had fallen asleep to _The Chronicles of Riddick_, Miranda had been listening to it with all of her attention to try and get rid of the grotesque metaphors the hillbilly comedian used throughout the movie at the theater. _I have a newfound disposition for that Cable Guy. I'll take Dennis Leary or Christopher Titus any day._ Her mind wandered back into Kenyon's movie when she heard a very faint tapping on the window. 

Miranda lifted herself from her bed and turned towards the only window in the room. There was a black figure sitting on the windowsill, its yellow beak was rapping on the glass and held a folded piece of paper. Despite its camouflage of night, it was easy to tell it was a Murkrow. Carefully so as not to disturb Kenyon, Miranda opened the window and let the pokemon walk onto her hand. "Mur'row." It murmured under the note and put it in Miranda's other hand.

The Murkrow shuffled to her shoulder as she tried to read the letter in the flashing light of the DVD player screen. _Keep a close eye on him. We have no idea for sure if Aqua or Magma has the pokemon from the Knights of Eevee, but leads have pointed to Hoenn. Report any new information you find._ Miranda read the brief note and quickly scratched down a response, folding it and giving it to Murkrow.

Kenyon began to turn in bed, and swiftly Miranda pulled the covers over herself, Murkrow darting out the window. His eyes fluttered open when a breeze made his hair tickle his face. "Hm…it was getting hot in here…" he mumbled and glanced to Miranda, lying still with her back turned. He yawned widely and dozed back to sleep just as the movie entered the climatic battle.

* * *

The next day, Kenyon was already awake and took a look at the police department. In about a half-hour, Kenyon came back with Sapphire by his feet. "So much for that station too. I'm starting to feel it's not worth it here." Kenyon groaned but got nipped sharply by his Eevee in the ankle. He had second thoughts, "You're right. I gotta see this through; for them, my parents, and myself. …Guess it's time to wake Miranda now, uh?" Kenyon asked jokingly to Sapphire as he reached for the knob. 

"GAAAAHHHH!" His smile skipped off his face when he heard a scream from inside the room. Kenyon threw the door open, seeing one pale Miranda scared straight out of her bed. She was staring at a real alarming pokemon too; its tear-drop head had antennae on either side that looked like a pair of nasty eyes in pattern.

"Miranda! What is that thing?" Kenyon was startled beyond belief, see the newcomer just hovering before them.

Miranda shook her head to get bearings back. "A Masquerain, it's the evolved form of a Surskit. It uses those patterned antennae to startle foes…and it works." _Why does this always happen to me?_ She groaned and tried to pushed Masquerain towards the window. Finally the pokemon flew from sight, which Miranda closed the window and sighed. "What next…"

"What do you mean?" Kenyon asked.

"More often than not I attract wild pokemon that aren't ghost types in the weirdest ways. And it's happened so many times I lost track of what pokemon encountered me and how. I don't normally catch those pokemon." Miranda said almost annoyingly. "One of the encounters I'll never forget was when I had to give a Mankey a piggy-back ride through Azalea Forest…"

Kenyon's face jumped in shock. "A Mankey? I know those guys can get testy."

"He was more of a brat, throwing a fit if I didn't let him on my back." Miranda side commented and gathered up her things. "Anything else we can do here?"

Kenyon slumped, "The police department was just like Rustboro's, no info that they can release to me. I'm just about ready to ask my parents if _they_ could call the Hoenn PD and see if they can get something. Just one more question about your little problem with wild pokemon. How'd you catch your Zigzagoon? He wasn't affected?"

_It's not that big of a problem, it just makes me curious as to why it always happens._ "Little thief tried to steal my berries I was growing. If he's going to pick berries, may as well pick them for me, not from me." Miranda answered. "All right, we'll get some supplies and window shop the outdoor market, and then try the next city, Mauville. It's a half-day's walk north from here." She insisted and packed her things.

"But what if we can't get the police department there to help?" Kenyon asked, also gathering his DVD player.

"Then we'll just look for clues ourselves, try and find anything on Aqua and Magma and hope we can dig up more from there." Said Miranda without pause and tossed the pack over her back. She picked a pokeball from her belt and opened it up. Her Zigzagoon Scout appeared, bright-eyed and prickly-tailed, literally. "Scout!" Miranda greeted, handing him the handkerchief baggy, "could you go on ahead and find some berries for us please? We'll meet you up the path between Slateport and Mauville."

"Zagoon!" Scout answered happily, taking the handkerchief and dashed off.

Kenyon finally got his gear and the two of them left their room for the trip, Kenyon handing the keys off to an employed Chansey just as they walked out the door.

Just a few steps and Miranda stopped short. "Oh yeah…I forgot something."

"What? You left one of your pokemon there?"

"No…Nightwind never got to say 'good morning.'" Miranda smirked and opened a second pokeball.

"Haunter!" The pokemon declared its appearance.

Kenyon paled. "Uh Nightwind? Can't you Lick without causing paralysis?"

"Only one way to find out," Miranda answered and Nightwind's tongue blanketed Kenyon once more. _Taking me to see that comedian was a punishment that didn't fit the crime. Besides, Nightwind likes you._

"Miranda…when will Scout come back…with more berries…?" asked the paralyzed Knight.


End file.
